Lawyers for Reporters Hosts Office Hours at LION Publishers Summit
The daily sessions offered a chance to connect with current and potential clients and share more information about LFR's legal services with LION's hundreds of members.
A table at the Independent News Sustainability Summit with flags reading “Long Live Local News.” Photo credit: Adam Kohler (shared via Whova)
Lawyers for Reporters Senior Staff Attorney Christina Jones attended the Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers Independent News Sustainability Summit in San Diego, California.
The annual summit, held on September 9 -11, included panels, workshops, networking opportunities, and more for LION Publishers’ more than 450 members across the U.S. and Canada – many of which are also LFR clients.
The office hours, offered each morning of the conference, consisted of 15-minute meetings with both current and prospective clients. Representatives of news media organizations and publishers brought questions about various media law topics that fall within the scope of LFR’s services. The consultations covered issues including copyright infringement, nonprofit formation and governance, pre-publication review needs, and employment law issues affecting local and growing newsrooms.
Each session opened with a brief overview of Lawyers for Reporters‘ mission, the legal services offered, and how organizations qualify for representation. Jones also provided guidance about the client intake process and next steps for publishers interested in working with LFR.
These conversations offered an informal but substantive space for publishers to raise questions about issues in their newsrooms and receive some preliminary guidance. Attendees left with a better understanding of how LFR can assist independent news media and journalist support organizations as they navigate complex and evolving legal landscapes.
LFR Senior Staff Attorney Christina Jones hosted office hours for current and prospective clients alongside the Summit, from September 9-11, 2026. Photo credit: Vance Center
LFR Senior Staff Attorney Christina Jones hosted office hours for current and prospective clients alongside the Summit, from September 9-11, 2026. Photo credit: Vance Center
In addition to hosting the daily office hours, Jones attended summit sessions focused on strategies for collaboration across the independent news ecosystem, approaches to promoting and creating content, and AI and its uses and implications for local news.
Throughout the summit, Jones engaged with current LFR clients like local nonprofit newsroom Petaluma Voice and Latino-led community media incubator Altavoz Lab, discussing how newer mission-driven news media outlets and support organizations like these can continue to build their organizations and grow. These conversations highlighted the challenges and opportunities facing emerging publishers and reinforced LFR’s commitment to supporting independent, community-focused journalism across the U.S.
Attendees at the LION Publishers Independent News Sustainability Summit in San Diego. Photo credit: Drew Clark (shared via Whova)