Rushton Stakely has long been recognized as a leading authority on media law issues in the State of Alabama. We represent several print and broadcast media clients including the Alabama Press Association. At the request of the Alabama Press Association, our lawyers designed and established the first statewide media hotline in the United States. Our media lawyers regularly field calls from editors, advertising managers, and reporters on a variety of legal issues affecting the day-to-day business of the media.  Rushton Stakely is a member of the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) and has authored the MLRC Libel Survey for over 30 years. Shareholder Dennis R. Bailey also serves on the MLRC Newsgathering Committee.

We are often called upon to provide expert legal commentary, and our lawyers have been quoted and featured in media outlets across the state on numerous occasions. The firm played an integral role in drafting Alabama’s current open meetings law, which was enacted in 2005. We have published materials on various media law issues and regularly give presentations on legal topics of interest to media clients.

The firm has also frequently represented media clients in litigation involving defamation, access to information, taxation of newspapers, copyright and contract disputes. We are able to draw upon backgrounds in journalism to understand and meet the needs of our media clients. Whether we are providing topical legal advice outside of litigation, defending a subpoena request or defamation claim, or filing a lawsuit to enforce accountability and transparency, our media law practice works to safeguard the fundamental First Amendment rights that lie at the heart of our Bill of Rights.