# SPJ Legal Defense Fund

> Financial assistance for journalists facing legal challenges related to their reporting.

**Source:** https://fieldwork.news/tools/spj-legal-defense
**Official site:** https://www.spj.org/ldf.asp
**Category:** legal

## Who it is for

Journalists who need financial help covering legal costs tied to their reporting work.

## Editorial take

SPJ's Legal Defense Fund provides actual money for legal fees — not just advice or referrals — which fills a gap most other press freedom orgs don't cover.

## Best for / not for

**Best for:** Journalists who already have legal representation but need help paying for it. FOI litigation, subpoena fights, and other legal costs related to newsgathering.

**Not for:** Finding a lawyer (use RCFP hotline or ProJourn for that). SPJ funds legal costs, not legal counsel.

## Pricing

- **Pricing:** Free
- **Free option:** yes

## Ownership & business

- **Owner:** Society of Professional Journalists
- **Funding model:** Member dues and donations
- **Business model:** Nonprofit
- **Built for journalism:** yes

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Canonical HTML: https://fieldwork.news/tools/spj-legal-defense
Full dataset: https://fieldwork.news/llms-full.txt
Methodology: https://fieldwork.news/methodology