Keywords
amicus brief, ethics, defamation, privacy
Abstract
This Article explores the ethics of writing amicus briefs as they relate to defamation and privacy issues by focusing on two specific cases, Rice v. Paladin and Khawar v. Globe, International. It begins with a history of amicus curaie briefs, followed by a discussion of the two cases. In Paladin, a family sued a publishing company arguing that a book it published aided and abetted a murder. In Khawar, a photo was wrongly placed in a book and was subsequently printed in a newspaper. In both cases, amicus briefs were submitted on the part of the defendants from large media corporations, prompting public outrage over the defense of seemingly indefensible actions. The Article examines both sides of the argument, and ultimately argues that that media lawyers should continue to submit such briefs, despite some public outrage.
Recommended Citation
Allison Lucas,
Friends of the Court? The Ethics of Amicus Brief Writing in First Amendment Litigation,
26 Fordham Urb. L.J. 1605
(1999).
Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol26/iss5/12