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Steven D. Zansberg, a partner of the firm, represents news media organizations in seeking access to judicial proceedings, records and open meetings, libel defense, asserting the journalist’s privilege against being compelled to testify, and conducting pre-publication review and counseling. He also litigates and counsels clients in use of copyrights, trademark, trade dress and protection of trade secrets. He is listed in the First Amendment category in The Best Lawyers in America and Who’s Who in American Law. Mr. Zansberg has represented national media organizations in seeking access to court records and proceedings in the Oklahoma City bombing trial and the Kobe Bryant rape prosecution, gaining access to the search warrant affidavits for the Montana cabin of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, and to public records related to the investigations into the murder of JonBenét Ramsey and the Columbine High School shooting.

Mr. Zansberg serves on the Governing Board of the Forum on Communications Law of the American Bar Association, was past Chair of the Media, Privacy and Defamation Law Committee of the ABA’s Section on Torts, Trial and Insurance Practice.  He is a co-editor the ABA’s quarterly journal Communications Lawyer.  He also co-chairs the Newsgathering Committee of the Media Law Resources Center. 

Mr. Zansberg has taught mass media law as a visiting professor at the University of Colorado.  He is the author of numerous articles on media law, including Reducing the Glare of False Light, Communication Lawyer (2006), The Empirical Case: Proving the Need for the Privilege, Media Law Resource Center Bulletin, White Paper on the Reporter’s Privilege (2004), and Sunshine on the Thin Blue Line: Public Access to Police Internal Affairs Files,Communications Lawyer (2004).

Mr. Zansberg received his B.A. from Stanford University, Phi Beta Kappa, with honors, in 1982, and his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1994.  He was a member of Yale Law Journal.  Mr. Zansberg served as a law clerk to the Hon. Dorothy Nelson, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1994-1995.  He is admitted to practice law in the courts of Colorado and California, as well as the Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.  Mr. Zansberg previously was a partner of the firm Faegre & Benson, LLP.  Prior to practicing law, Mr. Zansberg was a freelance documentary producer for public television.