Join us for Sunshine Week events and beyond
Join us for two special events highlighting the importance of a more open and accountable government, with a focus on the unique challenges posed by the pandemic. For Sunshine Week 2021, we are teaming up with the News Leaders Association to take you inside the fight for public information amid the pandemic. We’re keeping the conversation going the following week, with a special event focused on the importance of open courts as the trial over George Floyd’s killing opens in Minnesota.
Both programs speak to a core principle that animates FAC’s work: That the public’s right to know is fundamental, essential and too often overlooked.
I hope you will join us to better understand this right — and to put it in action, for the benefit of us all.
David SnyderExecutive Director, FAC
INSIDE THE FIGHT FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION
The coronavirus pandemic has made accessing public information more challenging than ever, with some governments refusing to even respond to requests for public records. Yet news organizations across the country continue to publish essential accountability journalism, breaking through barriers to information to keep their communities informed. Hear from journalists and open-government advocates about how they combatted government secrecy to tell important stories.
Nancy Ancrum (the Miami Herald) will lead a discussion with Andrea Gallo (The Advocate | Times-Picayune, Baton Rouge, La.) and Derek Kravitz (Brown Institute, former Pro Publica), and First Amendment Coalition Executive Director David Snyder. Thursday, March 18 at 10 a.m. PT. The event is free but registration is required.
Presented in partnership with the News Leaders Association.
OPEN COURTS & RACIAL JUSTICE
The world will be watching as the trial over George Floyd’s killing opens this month. Join us for a look at how the First Amendment’s promise of public trials is playing out in an American courtroom amid the pandemic. Featuring Leita Walker, First Amendment attorney in Ballard Spahr’s Minneapolis office and lead counsel for a media coalition in the George Floyd case. Walker successfully challenged a gag order and won greater public access to judicial records and proceedings, including cameras in court. Also joining the conversation are David L. Hudson Jr., First Amendment scholar and assistant professor of law at Belmont University College of the Law, who is the lead author on a forthcoming educational guide on court access, and David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition and contributing editor to the guide. Moderated by Soraya Ferdman, staff writer, First Amendment Watch. Wednesday, March 24, 11 a.m. PT/ 2 p.m. ET.
NEW! TEACHER GUIDE ON COURT ACCESS
The March 24 Open Courts & Racial Justice event corresponds with the upcoming release of a new educational guide on access to courts, jointly published by FAC and the First Amendment Watch of NYU. The guide is designed to help foster a deeper understanding of the role of open courts in our society. Be sure you’re a member of FAC to receive an alert when the guide is available — Join NOW (it’s free).
USE FAC’s LEGAL HOTLINE
FAC’s free Legal Hotline is open to anyone with a question about your rights under the First Amendment or access to public information, with special focus on California. It is staffed by attorneys at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, who help arm our hotline users with information to make government more open and accountable to the people. Additionally, FAC staff attorneys provide responses to journalists on deadline, helping reporters navigate public records laws and gain access to other government information and institutions.
Special note: We’re hiring!
FAC is looking for its next Legal Fellow. This is a full-time position for a practicing lawyer or recent law school graduate interested in open-government and First Amendment work. Applications are being accepted until April 30. Share the news!