Week 1: intro to the First Amendment

· principles of freedom of speech/expression

· what constitutes speech/expression

Week 2: hate speech /extremist expression under the First Amendment

· incitement principle: Brandenburg v. Ohio (speech of KKK)

· The Skokie controversy

Week 3: ECtHR case analysis

· Norwood v. United Kingdom (hostility toward a religious group)

· Perincek v. Switzerland (Armenian genocide denial)

· Waldron’s “dignity” argument

Week 4: threatening speech

· true threats principle: Planned Parenthood v. ACLA (controversial anti-abortion website)

Week 5: personally offensive speech

· Hustler v. Falwell (satire involving public figures)

· Snyder v. Phelps (funeral protest)

Week 6: symbolic speech

· U.S. v. O’Brien (burning of the draft card)

· Texas v. Johnson (flag burning)

Week 7: student speech rights in public schools

· Tinker v. Des Moines (armband political protest)

· Bethel v. Fraser (lewd and indecent speech)

· Morse v. Frederick (drug reference)

Week 8: First Assessment – Moot Court

· [two teams of 3 lawyers – all other students are judges]

Week 9: prohibition of establishment of religion

· approaches to secularism

· secularism in schools: Wallace v. Jaffree, Lee v. Weisman

Week 10: free exercise of religion

· Employment Division v. Smith (drug use in religious ritual)

· Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah (animal sacrifice)

Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado (cake for same-sex wedding refusal)

Course Goals / Learning Outcomes:

The objectives of this course include the following: 1) to deepen students’ understanding of U.S. interpretation of freedom of expression and religion; 2) to provide context for students to compare and assess various approaches to such issues; 3) to provide a framework for students to evaluate the applicability and merits of First Amendment legal arguments in potential future cases; 4) to aid students in acquiring and using sophisticated legal English vocabulary and grammar.