Since 1994, Mike Hiestand of the Student Press Law Center has contributed regular columns on student press legal and ethical issues to ACP and NSPA's Trends newsletters. To keep the valuable advice in those columns alive, studentpress.org has made "It's the Law" columns available here as a resource for student journalists.
For additional student press legal advice and resources, contact the Student Press Law Center at splc@splc.org, visit their Web site at http://www.splc.org or try one of the links at left.
For more coverage of the student press by ACP and NSPA, visit our Trends in College Media and Trends in High School Media pages.
It's the Law articles: High School
Off-campus speech (6/2/2008)
An open lettter of apology... (1/13/2008)
"Bong Hits" and the Court (7/11/2007)
How to include Bart in your book (4/30/2007)
Washington Student Free Press Law FAQ (2/1/2007)
Plagiarism vs. copyright (12/5/2006)
Student media law Legal Bytes, Part 2 (7/3/2006)
Student media law Legal Bytes, Part 1 (4/28/2006)
Don't be the punchline of an April Fools' mistake (2/2/2006)
Copyright permission: It doesn't hurt to ask (11/20/2005)
For Web editors: All about OCILLA (5/31/2005)
Fighting censorship: A checklist (4/4/2005)
Dean v. Utica FAQ (2/1/2005)
Off-campus Web sites: How to stay out of trouble (7/1/2004)
Too-good-to-be-true ads: should you run them? (4/1/2004)
Don't get stung by a sting (1/30/2004)
Press law's (very) frequently asked questions (10/6/2003)
Minors: Old enough to know what's at stake? (5/1/2003)
Wooster decision clarifies censorship guidelines (2/26/2003)
Fair report privilege: A valuable, pitfall-laden defense (2/5/2003)
In censorship battles, students have the power (12/31/2002)
Prior review vs. prior restraint (6/4/2002)
Supreme Court decision solidifies student press rights (3/4/2002)
Balance freedom, responsibility to avoid lawsuits (12/10/2001)
Media Law 101 (8/22/2001)
Avoid legal pitfalls in changing names of sources (3/15/2001)
Understanding "anti-Hazelwood" laws (1/23/2001)
Confidentiality issues and advisers (10/1/2000)
Misuse of FERPA leads to nameless, faceless publications (3/1/2000)
Religious speech in student newspapers: Who's to say? (12/1/1999)
Post-Columbine hysteria threatens student speech (9/1/1999)
Freedom of Information Act, open records laws open doors for journalists (3/1/1999)
Copyright extensions keep Mickey off limits (12/1/1998)
Administrators and online publications: Fear and loathing in cyberspace (9/1/1998)
It's the Law articles: College
"Bong Hits" and the Court (7/11/2007)
Washington Student Free Press Law FAQ (2/1/2007)
Plagiarism vs. copyright (12/5/2006)
California leads way with "anti-Hosty" laws (11/1/2006)
Navigating the "double super secret background" minefield (5/31/2006)
Living in a post-Hosty world (3/2/2006)
Don't be the punchline of an April Fools' mistake (2/1/2006)
Dark days for college media: Lane v. Simon (12/19/2005)
The Hosty v. Carter decision: What it means (7/6/2005)
For Web editors: All about OCILLA (5/31/2005)
Newspaper theft remains popular form of censorship (3/1/2005)
When the adviser is the enemy (4/15/2004)
Don't be frightened by HIPAA (1/5/2004)
Student governments, open up (11/3/2003)
So you want to go to law school... (6/30/2003)
New booklet is definitive word on reporter's privilege (4/2/2003)
Fair report privilege: A valuable, pitfall-laden defense (2/5/2003)
Governors State appeals court decision looms (12/2/2002)
Responding to libel complaints (7/1/2002)
Student media "punishments" take many forms (2/28/2002)
Tapping Officials' Secrets an essential resource (12/28/2001)
Media Law 101 (8/22/2001)
The learning experience is its own pay, right? (5/8/2001)
Is your newsroom safe from searches? (2/28/2001)
Questionable ads: Should your paper run them? (9/1/2000)
When joke captions get past editors, it's no laughing matter (3/1/2000)
Thanks to Web site, nonprofits' financial filings are everybody's business (1/1/2000)
Kincaid decision has far-reaching impact (9/1/1999)
Higher Education Act: Q and A (5/1/1999)
Kincaid and Southworth: Storm clouds on the horizon (3/1/1999)
Are you being served? How to handle a subpoena (1/1/1999)
Don't let ethics codes become law (11/1/1998)
Keep your cool at "hot" crime scenes (9/1/1998)
