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Outside normal business hours, you can reach us in an emergency — for example, if a journalist has been arrested or faces an imminent threat of arrest — by calling 1-800-336-4243.</p> <p>Note that we cannot help with intellectual property issues (such as copyright and trademarks), labor and employment, or contract matters. For more information about when to use the Legal Hotline — and what to expect when you do — <a href="https://www.rcfp.org/rcfp-legal-hotline-guide/">check out this Reporters Committee blog post</a>. And to read about journalists’ experiences using the hotline, check out the blog posts linked in our <a href="https://twitter.com/rcfp/status/1537171380780818432?s=20&t=IrF16-J_KmzebHQ8Mv7zUg">Twitter thread</a>.</p> <p><strong>RCFP’s Legal Hotline is for informational purposes only. Contacting our hotline does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not submit confidential information through the hotline.</strong><br /> <div> <form id="legal-hotline-form" class="contact-form" action="https://webto.salesforce.com/servlet/servlet.WebToCase?encoding=UTF-8" method="POST"> <input type=hidden name="orgid" value="00D6A000000w7T4"><br /> <input type=hidden name="retURL" value="https://www.rcfp.org/legal-hotline/ "><br /> <label for="00N6A00000Nm1JB">*First Name</label><br /> <input id="00N6A00000Nm1JB" maxlength="40" name="00N6A00000Nm1JB" size="20" type="text" required /><br /> <label for="00N6A00000Nm1JG">*Last Name</label><br /> <input id="00N6A00000Nm1JG" maxlength="40" name="00N6A00000Nm1JG" size="20" type="text" required /><br /> <label for="email">*Email</label><br /> <input id="email" maxlength="80" name="email" size="20" type="text" required /><br /> <label for="phone">Phone</label><br /> <input id="phone" maxlength="40" name="phone" size="20" type="text" /><br /> <label for="00N3u00000PCGRU">*City</label><br /> <input id="00N3u00000PCGRU" maxlength="255" name="00N3u00000PCGRU" size="20" type="text" required /><br /> <label for="00N3u00000PEIOT">*State</label><br /> <select id="00N3u00000PEIOT" name="00N3u00000PEIOT" title="State" required><option value="">–None–</option><option value="AL">AL</option><option value="AK">AK</option><option value="AZ">AZ</option><option value="AR">AR</option><option value="CA">CA</option><option value="CO">CO</option><option value="CT">CT</option><option value="DE">DE</option><option value="DC">DC</option><option value="FL">FL</option><option value="GA">GA</option><option value="HI">HI</option><option value="ID">ID</option><option value="IL">IL</option><option value="IN">IN</option><option value="IA">IA</option><option value="KS">KS</option><option value="KY">KY</option><option value="LA">LA</option><option value="ME">ME</option><option value="MD">MD</option><option value="MA">MA</option><option value="MI">MI</option><option value="MN">MN</option><option value="MS">MS</option><option value="MO">MO</option><option value="MT">MT</option><option value="NE">NE</option><option value="NV">NV</option><option value="NH">NH</option><option value="NJ">NJ</option><option value="NM">NM</option><option value="NY">NY</option><option value="NC">NC</option><option value="ND">ND</option><option value="OH">OH</option><option value="OK">OK</option><option value="OR">OR</option><option value="PA">PA</option><option value="PR">PR</option><option value="RI">RI</option><option value="SC">SC</option><option value="SD">SD</option><option value="TN">TN</option><option value="TX">TX</option><option value="UT">UT</option><option value="VT">VT</option><option value="VA">VA</option><option value="WA">WA</option><option value="WV">WV</option><option value="WI">WI</option><option value="WY">WY</option><option value="International">International</option></select><br /> <label for="description">*Description</label><br /> <textarea name="description" required></textarea><br /> <label for="00N6A00000Nm1JK">*Request category</label><br /> <select id="00N6A00000Nm1JK" name="00N6A00000Nm1JK" title="Request Category (Web Form)" required><option value="">–None–</option><option value="Access to Public Records/Meetings">Access to Public Records/Meetings</option><option value="Access to Courts">Access to Courts</option><option value="Everything Else">Everything Else</option></select><br /> <label for="00N6A00000Nm1J9">*Are you a journalist?</label><br /> <select id="00N6A00000Nm1J9" name="00N6A00000Nm1J9" title="Are You a Journalist?" required><option value="">–None–</option><option value="No">No</option><option value="Yes, I'm a journalist at a news outlet">Yes, I'm a journalist at a news outlet</option><option value="Yes, I'm a freelance journalist">Yes, I'm a freelance journalist</option><option value="Yes, I'm a documentary filmmaker">Yes, I'm a documentary filmmaker</option></select><br /> <label for="company">Company</label><br /> <input id="company" maxlength="80" name="company" size="20" type="text" /><br /> <label for="00N6A00000Nm1JF">*Is this request urgent (i.e., you need an immediate response)?</label><br /> <select id="00N6A00000Nm1JF" name="00N6A00000Nm1JF" title="Is This Request Urgent?" required><option value="">–None–</option><option value="Yes">Yes</option><option value="No">No</option></select><br /> <label for="00N6A00000Nm1JD">How did you hear about us?</label><br /> <select id="00N6A00000Nm1JD" name="00N6A00000Nm1JD" title="How did you hear about us?"><option value="">–None–</option><option value="Conference/Event">Conference/Event</option><option value="Referred by Friend/Colleague/Organization">Referred by Friend/Colleague/Organization</option><option value="Research Online">Research Online</option><option value="Social Media">Social Media</option><option value="Other">Other</option></select><br /> <label for="00N6A00000Nm1JI">Referred By</label><br /> <input id="00N6A00000Nm1JI" maxlength="120" name="00N6A00000Nm1JI" size="20" type="text" /><br /> <input class="donate__button" type="submit" name="submit"><br /> </form> </p></div> <br /> You can also contact the Legal Hotline by phone: 1-800-336-4243 or by email, hotline -at- rcfp.org.</p> <h2>Student Journalists</h2> <p>Student journalists with questions about scholastic media should contact the <a href="https://splc.org/legalhelp/">Student Press Law Center</a>.</p> <h2>Media Lawyer Volunteers</h2> <p>If you are a media law attorney who would like to help with pro bono representation of journalists, please email us at <a href="mailto:volunteer@rcfp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">volunteer@rcfp.org</a>.</p> </div> </div> <div class="widget-newsletter"> <section> <h2 class="widget-newsletter__title"> Stay informed by signing up for our mailing list </h2> <p class="widget-newsletter__description"> Keep up with our work by signing up to receive our monthly newsletter. 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