07 May Webinar: Defamation 2.0: In the Wake of #MeToo, Advising Clients on the Double-Edged Sword of Defamation Claims
From 3:30 PM until 5:00 PM
This webinar is hosted by Victim Rights Law Center with support from the TA2TA Project through the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
We’ve seen the headlines and the fall of high-profile figures in the wake of #MeToo and allegations of misconduct. The second wave has brought defamation claims both by and against survivors. How should you navigate the tricky waters and steer your clients through the rocks? On the one side, survivors who speak out publicly risk attack via defamation suits brought by well-funded perpetrators. On the other, survivors (like Ashley Judd, as one prominent example) may use defamation claims as a sword, when labeled a liar or worse for speaking out regarding assault. During this session, Krista Green Pratt, Esq. and Jessie Mindlin, Esq. of the VRLC will review the legal framework for defamation claims, discuss the risks and benefits for survivors, and provide a checklist of considerations for lawyers when advising their clients. We will also discuss examples and provide you with the tools to both protect your clients and advise them on asserting defamation claims to counter threats and intimidation. Using case examples during this interactive session, we will brainstorm ways to use the law to benefit victims and to rebuff defamation claims against them. We also invite participants to share their own examples for discussion, to help others navigate this evolving area of law.