Student Press Law Center Legal Hotline

Our legal team is committed to helping you find the answers you need to address your student-journalism-related legal questions and concerns. The hotline is free, and we answer every query.

SPLC Legal Hotline — Temporary Service Update

From Sept. 29 through Oct. 2, 2026, members of the SPLC legal team will be attending a student press conference. During this period, our Legal Hotline remains open and available, but please be aware of the following:

Telephone consultation slots will be more limited than usual.
Response times for all hotline inquiries — by phone, email or online submission — may be slightly longer than normal.

We are still here and happy to help. If your matter is time-sensitive, please note that in your message and we will do our best to prioritize accordingly.

Normal operations resume on Monday, October 5.

If the matter is urgent and time sensitive (for example, if you’ve been threatened with a lawsuit or are facing imminent censorship), please indicate so on the form. We do our best to respond to urgent matters within one business day and non-urgent matters within three business days. Please note that we are closed on weekends and federal holidays.

Please do not use a school email address, as those may be accessed by administrators or may block emails from SPLC. An automated email will confirm we received your form submission. If you have technical trouble or need special accommodation, email us at admin@splc.org.

Legal Hotline

Your Information

Please note: If you are not a student journalist or an adviser, educator or someone else working directly with student journalists on a media law issue, please do not use the hotline as we will not be able to assist you.

First Name

Last Name

Admins may access the account or block SPLC emails.

Phone

Numbers, dashes, parentheses and spaces only.

Role

If other role, please describe:

How did you hear about SPLC?

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School & Program Information

School Name

Type of School

City

State

If other territory or province,
please list:

Type of Outlet, Class or Reporting Program

If other type,
please describe:

Name of Outlet, Class or Reporting Program

Legal Questions

What is your question for SPLC’s legal team? Please include any relevant background.

(Optional) If you’re seeking pre-publication review of a story or your question relates to a document, please upload it here. You may upload up to three documents.

Maximum file size of 35MB

SPLC attorneys will respond as quickly as possible, usually within three business days. Is your situation urgent, requiring a response within one business day?

Note: If you are seeking pre-publication review, we request at least three business days. Learn more about this process here.

How would you prefer to hear from an SPLC attorney?

If you indicate you want to schedule a phone call, you will be asked to select a 30-minute time slot after hitting “submit” below.

Disclaimer

By submitting this online legal request form, I understand and agree to the following: The Student Press Law Center legal staff is available to provide general guidance and information only. Our services, which are provided without cost to student journalists and those working on their behalf, are neither intended nor represented as a substitute for obtaining case-specific advice from a licensed, practicing attorney in your state. While we hope that our information is helpful, the Student Press Law Center staff does not provide individual legal representation. We will keep your information confidential unless you give us permission otherwise or unless compelled by a court. If you are seeking pre-publication review of a story, more information on this service is found here. (Check the box below to agree to these terms.)

I agree

Please confirm that you did not use a school email address, as those may be accessed by administrators or may block emails from SPLC. If you have technical trouble or need special accommodation, email us at admin@splc.org.