June 26, 2025
039: Ambika Kumar on defending free speech, building a tech-speech practice from Seattle, and litigating the TikTok ban
When tech platforms face “bet-the-company” speech fights, they call Ambika Kumar. We dig into how Ambika built a First-Amendment practice from Seattle, argued a 7:30 a.m. TRO that blocked the first TikTok ban, and balances high-stakes litigation with raising two kids.
Ambika explains why eagerness is an asymmetric bet, how concise emails and phone calls keep clients calm, and what Section 230’s future means for AI. She also opens up about career inflection points—from early mentor hacks to leading headline-grabbing cases—and the candid lessons she now passes to lawyers at inflection points in their careers.
