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Legal Support

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FIRE strategically litigates in courts nationwide to vindicate the First Amendment and due process rights of college faculty and students. In 2022, we expanded our litigation mission beyond campus to preserve the free expression rights of everyday Americans. ݮƵAPP’s litigation team proactively seeks plaintiffs to participate in lawsuits that have the potential to set lasting legal precedents. Our lawyers also work to position ݮƵAPP as a thought leader in First Amendment jurisprudence by submitting amicus briefs in strategically chosen cases, teaching Continuing Legal Education courses, recruiting like-minded attorneys to the ݮƵAPP Legal Network, and publishing legal scholarship.

FIRE Legal Network

ݮƵAPP clients (left to right) Priscilla Villarreal, Mary Hall-Rayford, and Darius Dubash

ݮƵAPP’s First Amendment Freedom Operation

Censoring public comments. Compelling speech. Suing people into silence. Sometimes it feels like no words are safe from suppression and coercion. ݮƵAPP’s First Amendment Freedom Operation proves that violating First Amendment rights has consequences. We take on cases of everyday people who run afoul of government officials just for speaking their minds. And we’re determined to emerge victorious, knowing a win for our clients is a win for all Americans. 

View Our Cases

ݮƵAPP plaintiff Hannah Zoulek
Photo of ݮƵAPP plaintiff Susan Hogarth holding up her phone showing her ballot selfie
I won’t be bullied over such an innocent and wholesome impulse as sharing enthusiasm for my candidates. These ballot selfie bans may seem harmless, but they’re just one more way the state attempts to control and muzzle true self-expression while pretending to protect it.

Threatened with fines and jail time for taking a ballot selfie

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In March 2024, Susan Hogarth took a "ballot selfie" with her completed ballot for a primary election, and then posted the image to social media. A few weeks later, Susan received a letter from the North Carolina State Board of Elections telling her she committed a crime and demanding she take the post down. She refused, and with help from ݮƵAPP, she’s suing members of the board of elections to have the unconstitutional statutes struck down.

Read Susan's Story

 

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.

Defending free speech since 1999

Facing censorship or retaliation for protected speech? ݮƵAPP lawyers are here to help you when your free speech rights are violated.

FIRE in the Courts

ݮƵAPP client Phil Rishel in Allentown, Pennsylvania
The retaliation over my speech confirms that there is a huge issue with the culture of the Allentown Police Department. These officers have a disdain for the rights of the people they’re sworn to protect — and I hope my lawsuit changes things for the better.

Police assault and charge protester for recording them

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To protest the Allentown Police Department's long history of brutality and misconduct, and to advocate for greater police accountability, Phil Rishel non-disruptively films Allentown police officers while standing on public sidewalks outside local police precincts. But Allentown police don't like the attention, and they haven't been shy about letting Rishel know it.

Read Phil's Story

Kim Diei in the ݮƵAPP Philadelphia Office

Can ݮƵAPP Help Me?

FIRE helps people whose expressive rights have been violated — and those violations take a lot of forms. If you think your rights have been violated, tell us about it. Our team will review your case to see how we can help. It’s totally confidential and there’s never a cost to you.

Submit a Case
ݮƵAPP plaintiff Jeff Gray holds a sign reading "God bless homeless vets"
I have been harassed, trespassed, handcuffed and arrested countless times for peacefully exercising my First Amendment rights. My intention is to ensure that all Americans from the wealthiest millionaire to the poorest homeless person can exercise these rights without fear of consequence from our government.

Army vet arrested for holding ‘God Bless the Homeless Vets’ sign

Our Impact

Jeff Gray, a U.S. Army veteran and retired truck driver, has been repeatedly stopped, detained, searched, and arrested by the police. His alleged crime? Holding signs — in front of city halls across the United States. ݮƵAPP filed three lawsuits on his behalf to vindicate his constitutional rights and won them all!

READ Jeff's Story

Have your rights been violated on campus?

Our goal is to connect you with an attorney to intervene early in disputes with your institution.

professor standing before a classroom

Faculty Legal Defense Fund

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The Faculty Legal Defense Fund offers “first responder” assistance protecting the rights of faculty at public colleges and universities. FLDF pays the lawyer’s fees directly, with the goal of quickly and efficiently resolving disputes related to free expression and academic freedom in favor of the faculty member.

Faculty Defense FAQ

professor standing before a classroom
Reedley College professor Bill Blanken
“I’m a professor of chemistry. How am I supposed to incorporate DEI into my classroom instruction? What’s the ‘anti-racist’ perspective on the atomic mass of boron?" — Reedley College Professor Bill Blanken

ݮƵAPP Has Your Back

Faculty Story

FIRE filed a lawsuit on behalf of six California community college professors to halt new, systemwide regulations forcing professors to espouse and teach politicized conceptions of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Read Their Story

Do I have a case? What is a case?

By “case,” we mean any situation you suspect represents a threat to your right to freedom of speech, freedom of association, or sanctity of conscience. Additionally, if you are at an institution of higher education, we will consider cases involving due process, legal equality, and religious liberty. 

Case Submission FAQ

Juliette Colunga

Get Involved

Are you a legal professional interested in helping clients with First Amendment cases? Check out ݮƵAPP’s opportunities for you to make a difference by helping someone when they need it most.

Team working by group video call share ideas brainstorming negotiating use video conference

ݮƵAPP Legal Network

The ݮƵAPP Legal Network is a nationwide group of attorneys to whom we refer cases when counsel is necessary and the matter at issue falls outside the scope of ݮƵAPP’s mission or ability to assist.
Student advocate writing

Legal Clerkship

ݮƵAPP offers a 15-week, course-credited, in-semester legal clerkship for law students looking for hands-on First Amendment experience working for a dynamic, nonpartisan, civil liberties organization.
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