The First Amendment

Fall Semester 2007
Prof. Jack M. Balkin

 
Note: All references to page numbers refer to Stone, Seidman, Sunstein, Tushnet and Karlan, The First Amendment (2d ed. 2003).

1. Theories of Free Speech; Seditious Advocacy

• Notes on the history of the first amendment, pp. 3-8
  

• Notes on the philosophy of free expression, pp. 9-18
  
• Abrams v. United States and Notes, pp. 30-35
  
• Gitlow v. New York and Notes, pp. 35-41
  
• Whitney v. California and Notes, pp. 41-48
  
• Notes and Brandenburg v. Ohio, pp. 59-65
  
• Planned Parenthood v. ACLA and Notes, pp. 70-72

 
2. Defamation and Privacy

A. Defamation

• Note on "Low Value Speech", pp. 139-140
  

• New York Times v. Sullivan and Notes, pp. 140-150
  
• Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts and Notes, pp. 150-151
  
• Gertz v. Robert Welch and Notes, pp. 151-158
  
• Dun and Bradstreet v. Greenmoss Builders and Notes, pp. 158-160
  
• Internet Service Provider Liability Exception 47 USC §230
  
• Hustler Magazine v. Falwell and Notes, pp. 160-163

B. Privacy

• Cox Broadcasting v. Cohn and Notes, pp. 163-168
  

• Bartnicki v. Vopper and Notes, pp. 287-289
  
• Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., p. 480
  
• Note on data privacy

 

3. Disclosure of Confidential and Dangerous Information

• Landmark Communications, Inc. v. Virginia and Notes, pp. 92-93
  

• Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart and Notes, pp. 93-95
  
• New York Times Co. v. United States and Notes, pp. 95-106
  
• Note on the Progressive controversy, pp. 106-108
  
• 18 USC Section 231
  
• 18 USC Section 2339A
  
• 18 USC Section 2339B
  
• Stewart v. McCoy
  
• Note on terrorism and the first amendment, pp. 108-111
  
• Boehner v. McDermott

4. Vagueness, Overbreadth, and Prior Restraint

• Notes and Gooding v. Wilson, pp. 113-124
  

• Note on Prior Restraint, p. 124-125
  
• Lovell v. Griffin and Notes, pp. 125-129
  
• Freedman v. Maryland and Notes, pp. 129-131
  
• Near v. Minnesota and Notes, pp. 131-133
  
• Note on injunctions as prior restraints, pp. 133-138

5. Pornography and Obscenity

A. Obscenity and Child Pornography

• Roth v. United States and Notes, pp. 197-206
  

• Miller v. California, pp. 206-209
  
• Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton and Notes, pp. 209-218
  
• New York v. Ferber and Notes, pp. 218-221
  
• Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coallition, pp. 221-224
  
• Note on Pornography and the Victimization of Women, pp. 274-279

B. Secondary Effects and Zoning of Sexually Explicit Expression

• Young v. American Mini Theatres, pp. 246-250
  

• City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, p. 251
  
• City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books and Notes, pp. 252-254

6. Offensive and Indecent Speech

A. Captive Audiences

• Cohen v. California and Notes, pp. 225-232
  

• Erznoznick v. City of Jacksonville, pp. 232-233

B. Projection of Children

• FCC v. Pacifica Foundation and Notes, pp. 233-239
  

• Sable Communications v. FCC and Notes, pp. 239
  
• Action for Children's Television v. FCC (ACT III)
  
• Denver Area Educational Telecommunications Consortium, Inc. v. FCC, pp. 240-242
  
• Reno v. ACLU, pp. 242-243
  
• United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc. and Notes, pp. 243-46
  
• Ashcroft v. ACLU (S.Ct.)
  
• American Amusement Machine Assn., v. Kendrick

7. Fighting Words, Racist Speech and Workplace Harassment

A. Fighting Words and the Hostile Audience

• Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire and Notes, pp. 83-89
  

• Terminello v. Chicago, pp. 72-73
  
• Cantwell v. Connecticut and Notes, pp. 73-76
  
• Feiner v. New York and Notes, pp. 76-80
  
• Edwards v. South Carolina and Notes, pp. 80-81
  
• Cox v. Louisiana, pp. 81-82
  
• Gregory v. City of Chicago and Notes, p. 82-83

B. Racist Speech and Workplace Harassment

• Beauharnais v. Illinois and Notes, pp. 255-263
  

• Notes on the Skokie Controversy, pp. 89-92
  
• R.A.V. v. St. Paul, pp. 263-271
  
• Wisconsin v. Mitchell and Notes, pp. 271-274
  
• Commonwealth of Virginia v. Black
  
• Balkin, Free Speech and Hostile Environments

8. What is Speech?

• Notes and United States v. O'Brien, pp. 360-370
  

• Notes and Texas v. Johnson, pp. 371-376
  
• Barnes v. Glen Theatre, pp. 376-379
  
• City of Erie v. Pap's A.M., pp. 379-381
  
• Note on political boycotts, pp. 381-382
  
• Note on computer code, pp. 382-383
  
• Village of Schaumberg v. Citizens For A Better Environment, pp.383-385

9. Commercial Speech

• Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Council and Notes, pp. 169-180
  

• Central Hudson Gas v. Public Service Commission of New York, pp. 181-182
  
• Posadas de Puerto Rico Associates v. Tourism Co. of Puerto Rico and Notes, pp. 182-184
  
• 44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island and Notes, pp. 184-185
  
• Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly and Notes, pp. 185-187
  
• Thompson v. Western States Medical Center and Notes, pp. 187-191
  
• Note on Additional Limitations on the Protection of Commercial Speech, pp. 191-195
  
• Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association
  
• Note on Labor Disputes and the First Amendment, pp. 195-197

 
10. Time, Place and Manner Regulation

A. Time, Place and Manner Regulation

• Notes and Schneider v. State, pp. 281-282
  

• Martin v. City of Struthers, pp. 282-283
  
• Kovacs v. Cooper, pp. 283-284
  
• Metromedia, Inc. v. San Diego and Notes, pp. 285-286
  
• City of Ladue v. Gilleo, pp. 286-287
  
• Notes on balancing and content neutrality, pp. 289-295

B. The Public Forum

• Note and Commonwealth v. Davis, pp. 295-296
  

• Hague v. CIO and Notes, pp. 296-297
  
• Schneider v. State and Notes, pp. 297-298
  
• Notes on regulating the public forum, pp. 298-306
  
• Adderly v. Florida and Notes, pp. 306-312
  
• International Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee, and Notes pp. 312-315
  
• Balkin, Some Realism about Pluralism: Legal Realist Approaches to the First Amendment

C. Nonpublic forums

• Police Department of Chicago v. Mosley and Notes, pp. 318-324
  

• Lehman v. City of Shaker Heights and Notes, pp. 325-330
  
• Perry Educators' Association v. Perry Local Educator's Association and Notes, pp. 330-337
  
• Note on religious expression and the meaning of "viewpoint neutrality", pp. 337-340
  
• Note on Private Forums, pp. 315-317

11. The First Amendment in the Welfare State

A. Government Subsidies to Speech and Government Speech

• Spieser v. Randall
  

• Regan v. Taxation with Representation and Notes, pp. 345-346
  
• Rust v. Sullivan and Notes, pp. 346-351
  
• Legal Services Corporation v. Velazquez, pp. 352-355
  
• NEA v. Finley, pp. 355-360
  
• United States v. ALA

B. Government Employment

• Notes and U.S. Civil Service Commission v. National Association of Letter Carriers, pp. 438-443
  

• Pickering v. Board of Education and Notes, pp. 443-447

12. Media Regulation and Freedom of the Press

A. Broadcast Regulation

• Miami Herald v. Tornillo and Notes, pp. 499-500
  

• Red Lion v. FCC and Notes, pp. 500-509
  
• Turner Broadcasting System v. FCC (Turner I) and Notes, pp. 509-515
  
• Balkin, Digital Speech and Democratic Culture

B. Freedom of the Press

• Notes and Branzburg v. Hayes, pp. 473-478
  

• Note on rights to gather news, pp. 479-482
  
• Pell v. Procunier and Notes, pp. 482-483
  
• Houchins v. KQED and Notes, pp. 483-484
  
• Note on press rights of access to government information, pp. 485-487
  
• Richmond Newspapers v. Virginia, pp. 487-491
  
• Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court and Notes, pp. 491-492
  
• Note on variations on the press right of access, pp. 492-494

13. Campaign Finance

• Buckley v. Valeo and Notes, pp. 385-400
  

• First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti and Notes, pp. 400-402
  
• Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Notes, pp. 402-404
  
• Note on additional regulation of the electoral process, pp. 404-410
  
• Note on the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, pp. 410-412
  
• McConnell v. FEC
  
• Wisconsin Right To Life v. FEC

14. Freedom of Association

A. Associational Formation

• NAACP v. Button and Notes, pp. 412-415
  

• Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees and Notes, pp. 416-418
  
• Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, and Notes, pp. 418-424
  
• FAIR v. Rumsfeld (S.Ct.)

B. Compelled Affirmation of Belief

• Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins, p. 424
  

• Note on Compelled Affirmation of Belief, pp. 424-430

C. Anonymity

• NAACP v. Alabama and Notes, pp. 461-462
  

• Talley v. California, p. 462
  
• McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission, pp. 463-464
  
• Buckley v. Valeo and Notes, pp. 464-465

D. Government Benefits and Licenses

• Shelton v. Tucker, pp. 465-466
  

• Konigsberg v. State Bar and Notes, pp. 467-468

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