Author name: Nicole Ligon

Nicole Ligon is an Assistant Professor of Law at Campbell Law, where she teaches classes related to Media Law and the First Amendment as well as Professional Responsibility and Trial Advocacy. Previously, Ligon served as a Clinical Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law and the Supervising Attorney of Duke’s First Amendment Clinic. She also practiced litigation with Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP in New York. Ligon frequently contributes expert analysis and commentary to news stories involving First Amendment concerns. Her scholarship has appeared in journals such as the University of Illinois Law Review, Harvard Law & Policy Review, SMU Law Review, University of Richmond Law Review, and NYU Law Review Online. Ligon received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where she served as a Notes Editor for the Duke Law Journal. She received her B.A. from Emory University.

Opinion | When Local Journalism Changes the Law

Nicole Ligon / October 5, 2026

While national media highlights the allegations against Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity, local reporting demonstrates how sustained journalism can uncover legal gaps and prompt legislative reform.