Admitted to Practice | District of Columbia, 2008 | | California, 2006 |
| Rory Eastburg focuses his practice on media and intellectual property law. He has experience litigating defamation, privacy, copyright, prior restraint, open courts, reporter's privilege and other matters for media clients in federal and state courts. Rory also counsels pre-publication and pre-broadcast clients on a wide range of issues, including defamation, copyright, privacy and right of publicity, and newsgathering torts. Selected Experience Represents the publisher of The Wall Street Journal in an effort to overturn a decades-old injunction obtained in 1979 to block public access under the federal Freedom of Information Act to records containing evidence of Medicare fraud and the doctors behind it. Read the details here. (Ongoing) Submitted amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to decide that intrusion and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims cannot be based solely on the publication of offensive opinions about matters of public concern. The Court agreed, ruling 8-1 that the speech at issue is protected by the First Amendment. Read the amicus brief. (U.S. 2011) Amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Georgia Supreme Court decision that allowed judges to bar the public from courtrooms during jury selection. Court reversed 7-2, holding that the Sixth Amendment requires jury selection be open to the public. (2010) Obtained dismissal of claims for defamation, interference with contract, emotional distress, and invasion of privacy arising from local Fox affiliate's coverage of plaintiff's failure to deliver school uniforms on time. Established Maryland precedent regarding statute of limitations as applied to mass media. (D. Md. 2008) Represented Universal Pictures in successfully opposing effort by criminal defendant to enjoin nationwide release of the film 'Alpha Dog.' (2007) Represented a detainee who was beaten by deputies in the Los Angeles County Jail. Represented client during an 11-day jury trial, after which Mr. Jimenez was awarded compensatory and punitive damages and Davis Wright Tremaine was awarded attorney fees. (9th Cir. 2007) Additional Qualifications
- McCormick Legal Fellow, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Arlington, Va., 2008-2009
- Associate, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Los Angeles, 2006-2007
- Student Intern, Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic, Berkeley, Calif., 2005
- Legal Intern, First Amendment Project, Oakland, Calif., 2004
- Outreach Coordinator, Student Press Law Center, Arlington, Va., 2000-2003
|
Professional and Community Activities
- Board Member, First Amendment Project, Oakland, Calif.
- Member, Freedom of the Press Committee, National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
|
Education J.D., University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 2006
- Certificate, Berkeley Center for Law and Technology
- American Jurisprudence Award: Cyberlaw
- Teaching assistant for legal writing and advocacy courses
- Member, Berkeley Journal of Law and Technology
A.B., Philosophy, University of Chicago, 2000
- Dean's List
- College Honors
* Denotes experience completed at a prior firm | |