Paul McAdoo: Public Records Tips and Tricks
Paul McAdoo, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press attorney in Tennessee, will talk about the Tennessee Public Records Act, including some tips and tricks for accessing information as well as recent court decisions in an East Tennessee SPJ program on Thursday, March 14.
The program will be from 12 to 1:15 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium of the Baker School of Public Policy at the University of Tennessee. The street address is 1640 Cumberland Avenue.
NOTE: The 11th St Parking Garage is just one long block away. and UT is on spring break, which should make parking easier.
As the Local Legal Initiative staff attorney for Tennessee McAdoo provides pro bono legal services to journalists in Tennessee related to newsgathering, like public records issues.
March 10-16 is Sunshine Week. a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors that shines a light on the importance of public records and open government.
Prior to joining the Reporters Committee, McAdoo worked at Adams and Reese as well as Aaron & Sanders in Nashville, had his own solo practice in Michigan, and worked at Thomas & LoCicero in Florida.
Throughout his career, McAdoo’s work has focused on media law issues, including public records, open meetings, court access, and reporter’s privilege.
Nationally, McAdoo is involved in the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law where he currently serves as the co-chair for the Non-Profit and Public Interest Committee and previously co-chaired the Training and Development committee.
In Tennessee, he is active in the Tennessee Bar Association, including having served as its Communication Law Section’s chair and as the chair of the Fourth Estate Award committee.
With the support of the TBA and the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, he founded the Tennessee Reporters Workshop, which provides an opportunity for Tennessee journalists to learn more about media law issues over the course of a two-day event.
McAdoo is also a frequent author, including RCFP’s Sixth Circuit and Tennessee Open Courts Compendiums and his article in the May 2018 Tennessee Bar Journal “The Right to Know: Sixth Circuit Sends Clear Message on Tough Standards for Sealing Judicial Records.”
He received his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.