This course surveys First Amendment free speech law and issues in depth, including current controversies and precedents. Current topics include the extent to which government may regulate the following types of expression, as it is now seeking to do: communication that the government deems a threat to national security in the context of the “War on Terror;” online material that a community considers “harmful to minors;” “commercial” or corporate speech; broadcast “indecency”; and “electioneering communications.”

Concepts introduced in this course are tested on the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) and the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE).  The class format consists of student-led discussions under the professor’s guidance. All students will write several short papers in connection with class discussions. Half of the grade is based on these papers and oral contributions to the class sessions. The other half is based on a final paper (about 15-20 double-spaced pages) or a two-hour exam, at the option of each student. Enrollment limited.

Recommended for the Following Professional Pathways: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties; Government/Public Sector

Prerequisite or Co-requisite: Constitutional Law I and Constitutional II

2 Credits