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Law School repurposes $1M-plus from shuttered Thomas Jefferson Center

UVA Law School
Sanjay Suchak

The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, famous for the Muzzle awards it gave to government groups that quash free speech, has closed. But the nonprofit’s more than $1 million in assets will still support its mission, the center said in a release.

UVA Law School will use the funds to help relaunch its First Amendment Clinic, giving law students the chance to work with lawyers from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to journalists. Students will research legal issues, write briefs and connect with clients and co-counsel on cases that could head to litigation, the school said in a news release.