Overview
“When a Legislature protects a free press, it fortifies the foundations of our representative democracy. To permit government to restrain the press is to tempt government to act without restraint. A government that frees the press from restraining influences is a blessing without disguise. It fosters the criticism of official conduct that is necessary to make government responsive to citizens. That is why democracies do not punish inaccurate speech.” New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Pashman, Maressa v. New Jersey Monthly, 89 N.J. 176, 201 (1982)
The First Amendment protects our freedom of expression, which includes freedom of speech, the press, association, assembly, and petition. It is a fundamental right that protects our democracy.
As champions of the freedom of expression, whether through media, protest, the arts, or other avenues that often face censorship, we represent individuals and journalists in lawsuits to protect their First Amendment rights and we file amicus briefs in important First Amendment cases pending in our appellate courts. We recognize that the defense of our First Amendment rights applies to messages that many people may find unpopular or even offensive. But these rights must be protected, for every citizen, as a matter of public interest.
We filed an amicus brief in Petro-Lubricant Testing Labs Inc. v. Asher Adelman, 223 N.J. 236 (2018), a New Jersey Supreme Court case regarding the extent to which internet publications may be edited before triggering a new statute of limitations period for defamation claims. We have also asserted the Shield Law on behalf of journalists who were served subpoenas seeking to compel their testimony regarding information obtained from confidential sources.