Launch of Lawyers for Reporters is a vital step forward in strengthening press freedom in Canada
HALIFAX, NS, Dec. 18, 2025 /CNW/ -The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), the University of King's College and the Canadian Media Lawyers Association (CMLA) are joining forces to launch Lawyers for Reporters Canada, an initiative that will provide a range of pro bono newsroom legal services to support and bolster an effective democratic news media ecosystem.
"In a time when more and more individuals and organizations are weaponizing legal tools to stifle public-interest journalism, Lawyers for Reporters Canada is an initiative that truly meets the moment and supports press freedom," said Brent Jolly, president of the CAJ.
The partnership between the three organizations will bring together a network of pro-bono lawyers who can provide clients with pre-publication review, legal guidance on matters ranging from business operations to newsgathering liability, and responses to organizations that file subpoenas or production orders that interfere with public-service journalistic newsgathering.
"Local independent journalists are struggling to survive amid shrinking resources and mounting pressures," said Danielle Stone, past president and CMLA representative for Lawyers for Reporters Canada.
"More and more journalists are facing legal threats designed to silence them. By offering pro bono legal support, CMLA lawyers stand with these journalists -- helping them persevere, protecting their right to report freely, and defending the fearless transparent journalism that our democracy urgently needs."
Lawyers for Reporters Canada is currently accepting applications for a full-time, one-year fellowship that will be administered through the University of King's College. The successful applicant will be supervised by Lisa Taylor, associate professor at the University of King's College.
"I'm grateful that the project has a home here at King's -- students come to this campus because they get why democracies need free and independent news media," said Taylor. "Lawyers for Reporters Canada will help publishers, especially small-scale local and independent outlets, deal with legal hassles so they can focus on reporting facts and speaking truth to power."
Lawyers for Reporters Canada is modelled after Lawyers for Reporters, an initiative launched in the United States in 2020 by the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and the Press Freedom Defense Fund. Representatives from the Vance Center for International Justice will provide strategic advice on the development of the Lawyers for Reporters Canada project.
"Obtaining legal services can be a substantial obstacle to the work of independent journalists, said Tim Currie, vice-president of the University of King's College. "King's enthusiastically supports this project to ensure more important stories affecting Canadians are told."
The creation of Lawyers for Reporters Canada has been made possible through the generous support of a grant from LION Publishers, which is a professional association of local independent news publishers in Canada and the United States.
About the Canadian Association of Journalists
The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public interest advocacy.
About the Canadian Media Lawyers Association
The Canadian Media Lawyers Association is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of free expression in Canada and abroad. The country's leading news-media lawyers comprise the organization; members intervene in important appeal cases and promote improved laws and policies for free expression and openness of courts.
About the University of King's College
Established in 1789, King's is Canada's oldest chartered university and is associated with Dalhousie University. A small and extraordinarily lively academic community located in Halifax (Kjipuktuk), Nova Scotia, King's is known nationally and internationally for its highly acclaimed interdisciplinary programs in the humanities, including its renowned Foundation Year Program, its professional programs in journalism and its fine arts programs in creative writing.
SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists
For more information about Lawyers for Reporters Canada, please contact: Brent Jolly, President, CAJ, [email protected]; Lisa Taylor, Associate professor, University of King's College, [email protected]; Danielle Stone, Past president, CMLA; [email protected]
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