Hoppin Grinsell Secures Free-Speech Victory for Human Rights Organization

Hoppin Grinsell LLP, along with the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, secured a significant First Amendment victory when U.S. Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi dismissed sweeping discovery demands targeting human rights organization DAWN and its Executive Director. The court rejected what it described as an "impermissible fishing expedition" designed to expose confidential sources and chill protected speech, affirming that DAWN's investigative work qualifies for the First Amendment's reporter's privilege and recognizing the organization operates under rigorous journalistic principles. This important decision protects journalists and human rights advocates from retaliatory legal attacks and establishes that U.S. courts will not serve as tools to silence critics through abusive discovery tactics.