First Amendment: Freedom of Expression - 2224

This course will address the history, theory, case law, and practice of the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of expression.  We will cover the history and origin of the First Amendment’s Speech Clause and the various freedom of expression doctrines developed in the case law, including (but not limited to) prior restraints, vagueness and overbreadth, political speech, symbolic speech, “time, place, and manner” restrictions on speech, the distinction between content-based and content-neutral restrictions on speech, and categories of “unprotected” or “less-protected” speech. We will not be covering the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses because they are covered in other courses.  Given time constraints, we also will not be covering the First Amendment’s Press, Assembly, or Petitions Clauses in any detail (although we will likely reference them in connection with other freedom of expression doctrines).