The First Amendment generally protects the right to gather information about what public officials do on public property, which includes the right to record matters of public interest. Although this right is clearly established, some government officials try to prevent or retaliate against those who record them. Read more about our advocacy for the right to record here.
Throughout Spring 2024, the University of Georgia’s First Amendment Clinic provided trainings and presentations on a wide range of First Amendment issues to audiences including student journalists, educators, public officials, law enforcement, and members of the judiciary.
Litigation May 8, 2023The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic and civil rights attorneys Gerald Weber and Leigh Finlayson secured a $105,000 settlement from the City of Atlanta on behalf of photojournalist Sharif Hassan who was arrested in Atlanta during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment right to record the police.
During the Fall 2022 semester, the University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic trained over 70 local officials and more than 50 librarians around the state on the First Amendment right to record and how to appropriately respond to First Amendment auditors.
Under the First Amendment, citizens have the right to record the police performing their duties in public. This right is essential to informing the public about police activity and holding government accountable for the actions of law enforcement.
The First Amendment Clinic
University of Georgia School of Law,
P.O. Box 388, Athens, GA 30603
