Fair Trial/Free Press Conference

Founded in 1969, the Fair Trial/Free Press Conference brings together members of the press and the criminal legal system to promote understanding and to assure both the right to a fair trial and the protection of a free press. At each program, a distinguished panel of judges, journalists, lawyers, and law enforcement officials explore the legal, political, and ethical issues that arise in a hypothetical scenario, including the responsibility and liability of the courts, law enforcement agencies, and the press.

The Government Law Center and the New York Fair Trial Free Press Conference have collaboratively presented the Fair Trial/Free Press Conference on a biannual basis since 2022.

• Local Media, the Law, and the Next Pandemic (Sept. 2022)
• Local Media, the Law, and Alleged Police Misconduct (Apr. 2023)
• Gag Orders, Anonymous Juries, and the Media (Nov. 2023)
• Social Media, Gag Orders, and Freedom of the Press (May 2024)

The New York Fair Trial Free Press Conference

The New York Fair Trial Free Press Conference is a not-for-profit corporation approved as a §501-c(3) tax-exempt organization by the US Internal Revenue Service. It was established in 1969 by then-Chief Judge Stanley Fuld to bring members of the media, judges, attorneys, and law enforcement together to spur greater mutual understanding of press and legal system issues, in particular, the intersection of First and Sixth Amendment rights and conflicts that may arise among the public's right to know, privacy interests and the due process rights of individuals accused of crimes.