The First Amendment

Fall Semester 2008
Prof. Jack M. Balkin

 
Note: All references to page numbers refer to Stone, Seidman, Sunstein, Tushnet and Karlan, The First Amendment (3d ed. 2008).

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. 8-17
  
• Abrams v. United States and Notes, pp. 31-36
  
• Gitlow v. New York and Notes, pp. 36-41
  
• Whitney v. California and Notes, pp. 41-47
  
• Notes and Brandenburg v. Ohio, pp. 58-64
  
• Bridges v. California and Watts v. U.S., pp. 64-67
  
• Planned Parenthood v. ACLA and Notes, pp. 67-70

 
2. Defamation and Privacy

A. Defamation

• Note on "Low Value Speech", pp. 135-136
  

• New York Times v. Sullivan and Notes, pp. 136-146
  
• Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts and Notes, pp. 146-147
  
• Gertz v. Robert Welch and Notes, pp. 147-151
  
• Dun and Bradstreet v. Greenmoss Builders and Notes, pp. 151-153
  
• Internet Service Provider Liability Exception 47 USC §230
  
• Hustler Magazine v. Falwell and Notes, pp. 153-155

B. Privacy

• Cox Broadcasting v. Cohn and Notes, pp. 155-161
  

• Bartnicki v. Vopper and Notes, pp. 291-292
  
• Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., p. 501
  
• Note on data privacy

 

3. Disclosure of Confidential and Dangerous Information

• Landmark Communications, Inc. v. Virginia and Notes, pp. 89-90
  

• Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart and Notes, pp. 91-92
  
• New York Times Co. v. United States and Notes, pp. 92-105
  
• Note on the Progressive controversy, pp. 105-108
  
• 18 USC Section 231
  
• 18 USC Section 2339A
  
• 18 USC Section 2339B
  
• Stewart v. McCoy
  
• Boehner v. McDermott

4. Vagueness, Overbreadth, and Prior Restraint

• Notes and Gooding v. Wilson, pp. 109-119
  

• Note on Prior Restraint, p. 119-120
  
• Lovell v. Griffin and Notes, pp. 120-123
  
• Freedman v. Maryland and Notes, pp. 123-126
  
• Near v. Minnesota and Notes, pp. 126-128
  
• Note on injunctions as prior restraints, pp. 128-133

5. Pornography and Obscenity

A. Obscenity and Child Pornography

• Roth v. United States and Notes, pp. 188-198
  

• Miller v. California, pp. 198-201
  
• Paris Adult Theatre I v. Slaton and Notes, pp. 201-212
  
• New York v. Ferber and Notes, pp. 212-215
  
• Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coallition, pp. 215-218
  
• Note on Pornography and the Victimization of Women, pp. 276-283

B. Secondary Effects and Zoning of Sexually Explicit Expression

• Young v. American Mini Theatres, pp. 238-240
  

• City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, p. 240-41
  
• City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books and Notes, pp. 241-244

6. Offensive and Indecent Speech

A. Captive Audiences

• Cohen v. California and Notes, pp. 219-226
  

• Erznoznick v. City of Jacksonville, pp. 226-227

B. Projection of Children

• FCC v. Pacifica Foundation and Notes, pp. 227-230
  

• Sable Communications v. FCC and Notes, pp. 230
  
• Action for Children's Television v. FCC (ACT III)
  
• Reno v. ACLU, pp. 230-232
  
• Ashcroft v. ACLU, pp. 232-35
  
• Note on Indecent Expression, pp. 235-238
  
• Note on Violence as Obscenity and American Amusement Machine Assn. v. Kendrick, pp. 210-212

7. Fighting Words, Racist Speech and Workplace Harassment

A. Fighting Words and the Hostile Audience

• Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire and Notes, pp. 80-86
  

• Terminello v. Chicago, pp. 70
  
• Cantwell v. Connecticut and Notes, pp. 71-73
  
• Feiner v. New York and Notes, pp. 73-77
  
• Note on Revising the Feiner Approach, pp. 77-80

B. Racist Speech and Workplace Harassment

• Beauharnais v. Illinois and Notes, pp. 244-253
  

• Notes on the Skokie Controversy, pp. 86-89
  
• R.A.V. v. St. Paul, pp. 253-259
  
• Wisconsin v. Mitchell and Notes, pp. 259-262
  
• Virginia v. Black and Notes, pp. 263-276
  
• Balkin, Free Speech and Hostile Environments

8. What is Speech?

• Notes and United States v. O'Brien, pp. 367-378
  

• Notes and Texas v. Johnson, pp. 378-384
  
• Barnes v. Glen Theatre, pp. 384-387
  
• City of Erie v. Pap's A.M., pp. 387-389
  
• Note on political boycotts, pp. 389-390
  
• Note on computer code, pp. 390-391
  
• Village of Schaumberg v. Citizens For A Better Environment, pp.391-392

9. Commercial Speech

• Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Council and Notes, pp. 161-172
  

• Central Hudson Gas v. Public Service Commission of New York, pp. 173-175
  
• 44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island and Notes, pp. 175-177
  
• Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly and Notes, pp. 177-178
  
• Thompson v. Western States Medical Center and Notes, pp. 178-181
  
• Note on Additional Limitations on the Protection of Commercial Speech, pp. 181-187

 
10. Time, Place and Manner Regulation

A. Time, Place and Manner Regulation

• Notes and Schneider v. State, pp. 285-286
  

• Martin v. City of Struthers, pp. 286-287
  
• Kovacs v. Cooper, pp. 287-288
  
• Metromedia, Inc. v. San Diego and Notes, pp. 289-290
  
• City of Ladue v. Gilleo, pp. 290-291
  
• Notes on balancing and content neutrality, pp. 293-298

B. The Public Forum

• Note and Commonwealth v. Davis, pp. 298-300
  

• Hague v. CIO and Notes, pp. 300-301
  
• Schneider v. State and Notes, pp. 301-302
  
• Notes on regulating the public forum, pp. 302-309
  
• Adderly v. Florida and Notes, pp. 309-315
  
• International Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee, and Notes pp. 315-319
  
• Balkin, Some Realism about Pluralism: Legal Realist Approaches to the First Amendment

C. Nonpublic forums

• Police Department of Chicago v. Mosley and Notes, pp. 321-326
  

• Lehman v. City of Shaker Heights and Notes, pp. 326-332
  
• Perry Educators' Association v. Perry Local Educator's Association and Notes, pp. 332-338
  
• Note on religious expression and the meaning of "viewpoint neutrality", pp. 338-341
  
• Note on Private Forums, pp. 319-321

11. The First Amendment in the Welfare State

A. Government Subsidies to Speech and Government Speech

• Regan v. Taxation with Representation and Notes, pp. 346-347
  

• Rust v. Sullivan and Notes, pp. 347-353
  
• Legal Services Corporation v. Velazquez, pp. 353-356
  
• NEA v. Finley, pp. 356-360
  
• United States v. ALA, pp. 360-367

B. Government Employment

• Notes and U.S. Civil Service Commission v. National Association of Letter Carriers, pp. 458-463
  

• Pickering v. Board of Education and Notes, pp. 463-469
  
• Elrod v. Burns and Notes, pp. 469-473
  
• Notes on Subversive Advocacy and Associations, pp. 473-477
  
• Snepp v. United States and Notes, pp. 477-483

C. Special Environments

• Parker v. Levy and Notes, pp. 449-451
  

• Tinker v. Des Moines School District and Notes, pp. 451-456
  
• Jones v. North Carolina Prisoners' Union and Notes, pp. 456-458

12. Media Regulation and Freedom of the Press

A. Broadcast Regulation

• Miami Herald v. Tornillo and Notes, pp. 520-521
  

• Red Lion v. FCC and Notes, pp. 521-530
  
• Turner Broadcasting System v. FCC (Turner I) and Notes, pp. 530-536
  
• Balkin, Digital Speech and Democratic Culture

B. Freedom of the Press

• Notes and Branzburg v. Hayes, pp. 493-499
  

• Note on rights to gather news, pp. 499-504
  
• Note on press rights of access to government information, pp. 504-507
  
• Richmond Newspapers v. Virginia, pp. 507-511
  
• Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court and Notes, pp. 511-512
  
• Note on variations on the press right of access, pp. 512-515
  
• Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Commissioner of Revenue and Notes, pp. 515-519

13. Campaign Finance

• Buckley v. Valeo and Notes, pp. 393-409
  

• First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti and Notes, pp. 409-411
  
• Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Notes, pp. 411-412
  
• Note Contribution Limits, PACs, and Political Parties, pp. 412-414
  
• McConnell v. FEC and Notes, pp. 414-420
  
• Wisconsin Right To Life v. FEC and Notes, pp. 420-423
  
• Note on Additional Regulation of the Political Process, pp. 423-427

14. Freedom of Association

A. Associational Formation

• NAACP v. Button and Notes, pp. 427-429
  

• Note on Litigation and the First Amendment, pp. 429-430
  
• Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees and Notes, pp. 431-433
  
• Note on Association and the First Amendment, pp. 433-434
  
• Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, and Notes, pp. 434-440

B. Compelled Affirmation of Belief

• Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins, p. 440
  

• Note on Compelled Affirmation of Belief, pp. 441-447

C. Anonymity

• NAACP v. Alabama, pp. 430-431
  

• Talley v. California, p. 483
  
• McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission, pp. 484-485
  
• Buckley v. Valeo and Notes, pp. 485-486

D. Government Benefits and Licenses

• Shelton v. Tucker, pp. 486-487
  

• Konigsberg v. State Bar and Notes, pp. 487-489

E. Legislative Hearings

• Notes and Barenblatt v. United States, pp. 489-491
  

• Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigating Committee and Notes, pp. 491-493

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