Lisa Hoppenjans

Lisa Hoppenjans is an Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the First Amendment Clinic, which represents clients in matters advancing and defending freedom of speech, press, and assembly. Lisa has successfully represented clients in a range of First Amendment and media law matters in federal and state court, including civil rights cases asserting the right of access to public fora, challenges to unconstitutional content and viewpoint-based restrictions on speech, and matters asserting rights of access to court records and other public records. She has also defended clients against suits asserting defamation or other speech-based torts.

Prior to joining the law school, Lisa was a partner at the law firm of Dowd Bennett LLP, where her practice focused on complex civil litigation, appellate litigation, and internal investigations.

Lisa graduated summa cum laude and Order of the Coif from the Duke University School of Law and received a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina. She served as a law clerk to the Hon. Susan H. Black of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Prior to her legal career, Lisa was a newspaper reporter for The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina, and the Winston-Salem Journal.