Overview
Nonprofit legal organization at Columbia University that defends freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age. Filed the petition to compel release of Jack Smith’s classified-documents final report; appealed Aileen Cannon’s permanent sealing ruling to the Eleventh Circuit in February 2026.
Key Facts
- Based at Columbia University (Columbia Journalism School/Columbia Law School)
- Executive Director: Jameel Jaffer
- Senior counsel involved in the Smith report litigation: Scott Wilkens
- Additional counsel: Alex Abdo, Noah Kim; co-counsel David Buckner (Buckner & Miles) Judge Cannon Permanently Blocks Release of Jack Smith Report
- Filed motion to compel release of Volume II of the Smith final report; denied February 23, 2026 Judge Cannon Permanently Blocks Release of Jack Smith Report
- Appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit pending as of February 2026
Newsletter Relevance
The Institute is the primary institutional plaintiff keeping the Smith report suppression legally contestable. Without their appeal, the Cannon sealing becomes effectively permanent. Worth tracking as a generalizable pattern — independent legal nonprofits are increasingly the only entities with both standing and appetite to litigate transparency claims against a DOJ that will not litigate against itself.
Connections
- Jack Smith — whose report the Institute is fighting to release
- Aileen Cannon — judge whose sealing ruling is under appeal
- Jameel Jaffer — Executive Director
- First Amendment — the legal framework underlying their work
Source Appearances
- Judge Cannon Permanently Blocks Release of Jack Smith Report — primary subject
Open Questions
- What is the Eleventh Circuit’s likely posture toward reversing Cannon’s sealing ruling?
- If the Eleventh Circuit affirms, is Supreme Court cert likely?
- What other transparency-law litigation is the Institute currently driving?