Lisa Callif, Madison Karsenty, and Victoria Rosales Co-Author Fordham Law Journal  Article

Lisa Callif, Madison Karsenty, and Victoria Rosales recently authored a law review article in the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal, run by the Fordham University School of Law. In the piece entitled “A Delicate Balance,” Lisa, Madison, and Victoria detail the rapidly-increasing number of defamation lawsuits in recent years from individuals depicted in documentary dramas, which the group points out as indicative of “both the genre’s growing cultural impact and the accessibility of legal and extrajudicial avenues for reputational redress.”

The article provides an in-depth look at various defamation lawsuits involving docudramas throughout the last decade and analyzes their outcomes based on the projects’ differing factual scenarios, jurisdictions, and formats. Through these case studies, the article provides nuanced guidance for filmmakers, insurers, and distributors. 

Lisa, Madison, and Victoria also propose strategic measures to safeguard the integrity of defamation jurisprudence while reaffirming First Amendment protections for nonfiction storytelling, providing a balance between legality and creativity for creators.

Read the full article in the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal.