Archive | Center for Media Law and Policy

Content related to the Center for Media Law and Policy’s activities and people.

Summer Grants for UNC Law and Graduate Students Interested in Media Law and Policy

summer-job-pictureAre you interested in pursuing a career in media law or policy?  Are you worried that you won’t be able to take that plum summer job in New York, Washington, or Los Angeles because it’s just too expensive to live there.  Well, the Center for Media Law and Policy is here to help.  For the seventh year in a row, the Center will be providing grants to UNC law and graduate students who have a summer job in the field of media law or media policy.

The Center’s summer grants program provides funds to UNC law and graduate students taking unpaid or low-paying jobs in the fields of media law or media policy. In past years, UNC students have received a summer grant to support their work at a wide range of organizations, including the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade CommissionNational Public Radio, Electronic Frontier FoundationFoundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), Future of Privacy Forum, Student Press Law Center, Broadway Video GroupAmerican Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, and Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

Wait, you don’t have a summer job yet?!  Head over to our media law and policy Jobs Center, where you will find dozens of summer (and post-graduate) employment opportunities. You can easily find the perfect job for you by using our advanced search feature to search by location, keyword, or practice area.  Also, try browsing by job type or category for a more expansive look at the jobs listed. Still not sure what you want to do for the summer?  You can read about the summer experiences of your fellow students on the Center’s blog.

Requirements and Information on How to Apply for a Summer Grant

You must be a UNC law student or graduate student to apply. You will need to download the application form and send it directly to us at medialaw [at] unc.edu along with the other supporting material described below. Please put “Summer Grant Application” in the subject. The deadline for applying for a summer grant is April 2, 2018.

Law students who applied through the law school’s Summer Public Interest Grant Program are also eligible for a Center grant. You do not need to apply to the Center separately. Simply check the box on the general application for “Media Law or Policy” under the heading “Substantive Areas Your Summer Employment Will Involve” and you will be automatically considered for Center funds in addition to the law school grant.

Applications will be evaluated based on (a) your demonstrated commitment to working in the areas of media law or policy and (b) the quality of your essays (each essay should not be more than 500 words).

Required documents include:

  1. Resume (without grade information)
  2. Offer letter from your employer
  3. Essays (no more than 500 words each) *

* Essay questions:

  • Essay #1: Describe your work responsibilities and how they relate to media law or media policy.
  • Essay #2: Describe your commitment to public service. How have your past interests and work experiences contributed to your proposed summer internship responsibilities?
  • Essay #3: How do you see this summer work experience contributing to your long-term career goals?

Be sure to check out these Tips for Writing a Strong Grant Application. You will be notified of a decision in April.

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UNC Students attend NCPA Dinner with NC Supreme Court Justices

UNC students with Senior Associate Justice Paul Martin Newby at the 2018 NCPA dinner.

On Feb. 21, the UNC Center for Media Law co-sponsored the North Carolina Press Association’s (“NCPA”) annual dinner with the North Carolina Supreme Court. The dinner is a staple of the NCPA’s annual convention. One of the goals of the dinner is to offer students a chance to mingle and dine with members of the NCPA Board of Directors and the justices on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Nearly a dozen Carolina students attended the dinner. Each of the students was placed at a table with a Supreme Court Justice (six of whom attended) and several members of the NCPA. During dinner, the tables were given a list of discussion questions that addressed current issues regarding media access and the courts.

Kyla Wagner, a UNC doctoral student, poses a question to the panel of NC Supreme Court Justices.

The students made wonderful contributions to the conversations thanks to their unique perspective as young lawyers, scholars and journalists who work with the industry and the legal system. The result of each discussion was presented by a student representative from each table.

In addition to the dinner discussions, the students were given the opportunity to ask questions of the justices in an informative panel. The entire event served as a wonderful opportunity for the students to interact with and learn from the justices and NCPA board members.

Many thanks to the NCPA for inviting our students to this event!

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Exciting opportunities on our Media Law Jobs Board

We are happy to announce that the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy’s Jobs Board is back and better than ever! Our Jobs Board serves as a centralized place to find opportunities (for students and practitioners alike) to work in the ever-widening field of media law and policy. Thanks to our large network of media law companies, scholars, and programs, we end up hearing about job opportunities all over the world. The Jobs Board is searchable by location, keyword, or practice area. In addition, you can browse jobs by type, such as  internshipsfellowships, full-time positions, or academic teaching positions, including Academic – Journalism and Academic – Law.

There are some incredible jobs currently listed on our website. Some recent postings include:

  • Director of Data Science & Analytics at ACLU: Director of Data Science & Analytics is responsible for leading an in-house Data Science team and championing a data-driven strategy to help the nationwide ACLU organization reach its programmatic goals and support its advocacy, fundraising and communications initiatives. This full-time position includes but is not limited to realizing the data needs of the organizations, working with engineering to build an infrastructure to support data needs, identifying and monitoring key initiatives through a robust data platform, using data-driven techniques to foster new innovation within the ACLU and ensuring alignment across teams based on their individual data needs. Applications are accepted until the position is filled.
  • Summer Internships at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society: Each summer the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University swings open the doors of our vibrant yellow house to welcome a group of talented and curious students as full-time interns who are passionate about the promise of the Internet. Applicants who are interested in studying various aspects of Internet law and policy should apply for these prestigious internships by February 28, 2018.
  • International Relations Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at Tufts University: Tufts University is initiating a program in cyber security and policy that will combine the efforts of the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and the School of Engineering, Department of Computer Science. The University is seeking a post-doctoral research fellow to examine the policy and organizational oversight needed to trust Internet security technologies. This research involves comparative analysis of competing structures for developing standards and guidelines in telecommunications security. The research will involve analyzing international response to the development of cybersecurity and cryptographic standards by private-sector organizations, industry, and government research labs.
  • Summer Legal Internships at Paramount Pictures: Paramount Pictures seeks legal interns for the summer of 2018. The Paramount Legal Internship provides law students with visibility into the business affairs and legal areas of the company, including marketing, motion pictures, intellectual property, and home media. Applications are accepted until February 28, 2018.
  • Technology Law and Policy Fellow at Wikimedia: The Wikimedia Foundation is looking for a Technology Law and Policy Fellow to support its Legal Team in advancing laws and public policy that promotes free knowledge. The Technology Law and Policy Fellow position is designed for a lawyer or other individual who typically has up to 2 years of legal or public policy experience and is passionate about free knowledge and open source issues. This position provides an immersive in-house experience with specific education and training in the areas of Internet regulation and technology law and the operations of the Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Attorney position at MIT/BU Technology & Cyberlaw Clinic: Boston University School of Law is seeking to hire a full-time technology attorney in its Technology & Cyberlaw Clinic. The Clinic represents current students at MIT and BU on matters related to their innovative academic and extracurricular work, in the areas of intellectual property, computer access laws, data privacy and security law, media law and the First Amendment, and relevant areas of regulatory compliance. The attorney would be expected to help law students counsel clients and represent students in pre-litigation and transactional settings, and possibly also in some litigation matters, including response to cease-and-desist letters and other legal threats. The attorney’s primary responsibility will be to supervise and assist students with direct client representation matters and research. The attorney will also assist the Clinic Director in preparing and teaching a year-long seminar for students enrolled in the Clinic, including developing materials, performing research, and coordinating classroom activities and guest presentations.

These are just a few of the exciting job opportunities on the Center’s Jobs Board. Be sure to check the Jobs Board often for the latest updates and media law job postings!

 

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New Resources: Affiliate Scholars Research Repository & Social Sciences Resources Page

We are fortunate to have a number of great scholars affiliated with the Center of Media Law and Policy that hail from the UNC School of Law, the UNC School of Media and Journalism, and the UNC School of Information and Library Science. We are pleased to announce that we have made their work more accessible to the public through a helpful addition on our website!

The updated Media Law Resources page has links to a repository of publications penned by our affiliated faculty. The repository is broken down based on topic and provides links to the each article’s full-text version or abstract. Most articles are available for download.

Works on the following media law topics have been included:

In addition, we have compiled a list of social science resources for those interested in the intersection of law and policy. This list provides links to online libraries and other resource sites that offer publications, reports, or other resources for social science research.

We hope the repository and resource list assists researchers and students alike as they conduct studies on media law and policy. If you have any questions about these new resources, please contact our research fellow, Rachael Jones, at rachael_jones@unc.edu.

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Center Hosts CLE Sessions at the UNC Festival of Legal Learning

Each year, the UNC Festival of Legal Learning provides CLE credit in over 120 areas. The Festival allows attorneys to obtain 12 hours of CLE credit through a convenient and fun schedule spread over two days.  This year’s Festival will take place on Friday, February 9, and Saturday, February 10, at the William & Ida Friday Continuing Education Center in Chapel Hill.

We are thrilled to invite those participating in the Festival to attend the sessions on media law and policy, which are sponsored by the Center for Media Law and Policy. The sessions will be presented by the following attorneys:

  • David S. Ardia, Associate Professor of Law and Co-Director of the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy;
  • Mary-Rose Papandrea, Judge John J. Parker Distinguished Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the UNC School of Law;
  • Julia C. Ambrose, Attorney at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard;
  • Elizabeth A. DeVos, Attorney at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough;
  • C. Amanda Martin, Attorney at Stevens Martin Vaughn & Tadych and General Counsel to the N.C. Press Association;
  • Timothy G. Nelson, Attorney at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard;
  • Dowse B. Rustin IV, Attorney at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.

Sessions addressing media law topics include:

Friday
Beyond Credit Scores: The Promise and Risk of Alternative DataElizabeth A. DeVos, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, and Dowse B. Rustin IV, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
The Law of LeaksMary-Rose Papandrea, Judge John J. Parker Distinguished Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UNC School of Law11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Saturday
Recent Developments at the Federal Communications CommissionJulia C. Ambrose, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard and Timothy G. Nelson, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
The Law of Defamation: A PrimerC. Amanda Martin, Stevens Martin Vaughn & Tadych9:10 AM - 10:10 AM
Privacy and Court Records: What Does the First Amendment Require Regarding Online Access?David S. Ardia, Associate Professor of Law and Co-Director, Center for Media Law and Policy, UNC School of Law10:20 AM - 11:20 AM
Freedom of the Press and the Trump AdministrationDavid S. Ardia, Assistant Professor of Law and Co-Director, Center for Media Law and Policy; C. Amanda Martin, Stevens Martin Vaughn & Tadych; and Mary-Rose Papandrea, Judge John J. Parker Distinguished Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UNC School of Law11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sessions will run from 8:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m. on Friday and 8:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m. on Saturday. For a full list of available sessions, visit the Festival’s program guide. To register for the Festival, please visit the registration page.

We hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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