CIVIL LIBERTIES SEMINAR
Fall, 2015
Professor Lasson
Syllabus
Reading Materials: TO BE ASSIGNED
General Information:
This course examines various perspectives of the First Amendment, with particular
emphasis on free speech, religious liberty, the right of privacy, and “political correctness.”
Seminars will center around discussions of current controversial cases in the context of historical
events and landmark jurisprudence.
Papers and Grades
Grades are determined on the basis of class participation and a research paper, the subject
of which will be determined by individual consultations.
Conferences
Conferences may be arranged by appointment. Regular office hours are posted outside of
Room 515.
Reading Assignments
Assigned and distributed materials should be read prior to each class. (See class schedule,
next page.)
CIVIL LIBERTIES SEMINAR
Fall,
2015
Professor Lasson
Class Schedule
Classes will meet on Thursdays at 6 pm, according to the schedule below:
class
Week 1 (8/20)
Week 2 (8/27)
Week 3 (9/3)
Week 4 (9/10)
Week 5 (9/17)
Week 6 (9/24)
subject
Overview and Background
Historical Perspectives
and Current Issues
Freedom of Speech:
– “fighting words”
– “hecklers’ vetoes”
– incitement
Freedom of Speech:
– hate speech
– group defamation
– workplace harassment
Freedom of Speech:
– Political Correctness
– symbolic speech
– commercial speech
Internet 1 {see assignments}
Brandenburg v. Ohio
Internet 2/3
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire
Feiner v. New York
Article 1
Internet 4; Article 2
Regina v. Keegstra, Snyder v. Phelps
Cowher v. Carson & Roberts
Article 3
Texas v. Johnson
Internet 5
Freedom of the Press:
– scope and limitations
Branzburg v. Hayes
– journalists’ code of ethics
Internet 6
Week 7 (10/1)
NO
Week 8 (10/8)
Freedom of the Press:
– obscenity
– pornography
– national security
Week 9 (10/15)
assignment
CLASS
Freedom of Religion
– historical perspectives
– The Religion Clauses
Miller v. California
Hustler Mazazine v. Falwell
Internet 7
video (to be assigned)
Week 10 (10/22)
Week 12 (11/5)
Week 11 (10/29)
Freedom of Religion:
– Establishment
– cases and controversies
Freedom of Religion:
–Free Exercise
– cases and controversies
– religion in the military
The Right of Privacy:
–homosexuality and abortion
– anonymity
Lemon v. Kurtzman
Article 4
Employment Division v. Smith
Neustadter v. Holy Cross
Goldman v. Weinberger; Article 5
Griswold v. Connecticut; Article 6
Kolender v. Lawson
Current Cases
{brief presentations/summaries of papers}
Papers Due by Thursday, November 19th
Reading Assignments
Cases
Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969)
Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665 (1972)
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, 315 U.S. 568 (1942)
Cowher v. Carson & Roberts, 40 A.3d 1171 (2012)
Employment Division v. Smith, 483 U.S. 1054 (1990)
Feiner v. New York, 340 U.S. 315 (1951)
Goldman v. Weinberger, 475 U.S. 503 (1986)
Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
Hustler Magazine, Inc., et al v. Falwell, 485 U.S. 46 (1988)
Kolender v. Lawson, 461 U.S. 352 (1983)
Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S.602 (1971)
Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973)
Neustadter v. Holy Cross (2011)
Regina v. Keegstra, 3 S.C.R. 697 (1990)
Snyder v. Phelps, 580 F. 3d 206 (2009)
Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989)
articles
1. Incitement in the Mosques: Testing the Limits of Free Speech and Religious Liberty
27 WHITTIER LAW REVIEW 3 (2005)
2. Holocaust Denial and the First Amendment: The Quest for Truth in a Free Society
6 GEORGE MASON LAW REVIEW 35 (1997)
3. Political Correctness Askew: Excesses in the Pursuit of Minds and Manners
63 TENNESSEE LAW REVIEW 689 (1996)
4. Free Exercise in the Free State: Maryland's Role in Religious Liberty and the First
Amendment, 31 JOURNALOF CHURCH AND STATE 201 (1989)
5. Religious Liberty in the Military: The First Amendment Under Friendly Fire
9 JOURNAL OF LAW AND RELIGION (1992)
6. Civil Liberties for Homosexuals: The Law in Limbo
10 DAYTON LAW REVIEW 645 (1985)
materials available on the Internet
1. Civil Liberties (Background)
http://civilliberty.about.com/od/historyprofiles/tp/History-of-Civil-Liberties.htm
http://civilliberty.about.com/od/historyprofiles/tp/
2. Defending Targets of Discrimination
http://www.aclu.org/defending-targets-discrimination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFJQBp2FXFw&feature=share
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/delta.asp
3. Historical Perspectives
http://www.aclu.org/racial-justice_prisoners-rights_drug-law-reform_immigrantsrights/bill-rights-brief-history
4. Hate Speech
http://www.thefire.org/article/11695.html
5. Commercial Speech
http://www.abuse.net/commercial.html
6. Journalists’ Code of Ethics
http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
7. Civil Liberties & National Security /
http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2006/03/civil-liberties.ars