Prerequisites: None

Exam Type: One-Day Take-Home

The class examines how the First Amendment, in combination with tort law, statutes, and common-law principles, shapes the rights and legal limitations for publishers of news and opinion, in both traditional and digital media. Topics include libel, protection of confidential sources, prior restraints on publication, invasion of privacy by publication, criminal liability for publishing classified information, legal limits on newsgathering, and access to information. It is taught by David McCraw, the lead newsroom lawyer for The New York Times.