Five Questions with First Amendment Lawyer Katie Townsend
Katie Townsend is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn, a major law firm known for decades of solid work protecting freedom of speech and the First Amendment. She brings considerable experience from outside of private practice to her work.
Katie started her career as a young lawyer at the Gibson Dunn law firm before going on to serve as the Deputy Executive Director and Legal Director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. She led the Reporters Committee’s impact litigation efforts, regularly representing news organizations, journalists, and documentary filmmakers in public records, court access, and legal defense matters.
I wanted to speak with Katie tonight because her client, The New York Times, and one of its reporters have sued the Pentagon over its new press policy. I wrote to you about that policy here, back in September, if you want a refresher. It’s the one that essentially requires journalists to agree they won’t do their jobs as a precondition of access to the Pentagon.
At the time, I noted, “What’s happening at the Pentagon is wrong. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Pressure works. Lawsuits work. The press doing its job works.” Now we have a lawsuit, and tonight, we have the chance to learn what it alleges, what relief the Times is seeking, how that might affect other journalists, and how quickly we might expect the case to move (a pleasant surprise in store there!) from one of the lawyers running the show. I’m really delighted Katie made time in her uber-busy schedule to join us tonight.
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