First Amendment - LAWW 62332

Credits Hours: 2

This seminar will focus on freedom of expression, with attention to the philosophy,
doctrine, and cases which have shaped the uniquely American First Amendment view of
robust public discourse and its importance to our democratic republic. A bedrock
principle upon which early justices breathed life into the Speech Clause was that truth
would prevail based on the free-flowing marketplace of ideas. We will explore how
technological advancements have changed the way we transmit and receive
information. These changes have challenged the marketplace of ideas theory and its
truth-seeking function, affecting institutions such as media, higher education, the legal
system, and the political branches of government. This is a paper course; students can
satisfy their upper-level writing requirement through this course. Students will be
required to fully participate in the seminar through presenting their paper topics and
sharing their research.

Prerequisites: Students must have taken Constitutional Law or taking it as a corequisite.
Elective: Elective