Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University

About Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is a nonprofit organization that works to defend freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age. It was established in 2016 by Columbia University and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and it describes itself as an independent 501(c)(3) that is affiliated with Columbia. Its work is organized around strategic litigation, research, policy advocacy, and public education, with three focus areas: free speech and new technology, transparency and democracy, and privacy and surveillance.

The Institute files impact litigation intended to establish new legal principles or to change government policies on speech and press rights. It has acted as a plaintiff in cases such as a lawsuit over public officials blocking users from a social media account, and it has filed amicus briefs in other matters. Its research program supports interdisciplinary scholarship, fellowships, and policy papers. Its primary office is at 475 Riverside Drive in New York, NY, and it is governed by a board that includes members from inside and outside the Columbia community.

Practice areas

Areas of work that Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University describes on its own website. They describe the organization as a whole, not the practice of any individual attorney listed below.

Organization profile based on its official website and public sources (reviewed October 30, 2026). Attorney list from the New York State Unified Court System registration data. Not affiliated with Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

Registered attorneys

Registration status can change at any time. Confirm any attorney's current status through the official New York Attorney Search.