The notion that our free speech tradition might be weaponized to advance progressive ends is fanciful.
Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union [once] managed to translate [the] right of agitation into the language of law, but the radicalism of free speech [has since been] lost in the translation.
— Louis Michael Seidman
Professor Michael Seidman (credit: Book TV)
Over at First Amendment Watch Stephen Solomon and Tatiana Serafin are preparing to launch an online roundtable discussion of Professor Louis Michael Seidman’s forthcoming Columbia Law Review essay titled “Can Free Speech Be Progressive?”
Below are the lineup and dates of postings:
- Wednesday, June 20: Introduction & Seidman excerpt with link to his essay
- Thursday, June 21: Floyd Abrams
- Friday, June 22: John Schnapper-Casteras
- Monday, June 25: Jane Bambauer
- Tuesday, June 26: Ronald K.L. Collins
- Wednesday, June 27: Richard Delgado
- Thursday, June 28: Louis Michael Seidman: Rejoinder
- Friday, June 29 Onward — Reader Responses