Developments in First Amendment Law in American History, with a Focus on Recent Corporate and Campaign Finance Cases

The meaning of the First Amendment has changed markedly since its adoption. It was rarely invoked until the 20th century, when courts began to use it to protect dissenting speech. In the past few decades, the First Amendment has more often been used to protect commercial speech rights. This has occurred both in cases involving business activity and those involving political activity, such as Citizens United. This course reviews the history of the First Amendment and how it has changed. It provides a deeper analysis of recent First Amendment case law with an emphasis on corporate and campaign finance cases.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand the role of the First Amendment at various points in American history
2. Learn the most common uses of the First Amendment today, and how it has been shaped by legal advocacy since the 1970s
3. Explore the purpose of the First Amendment and analyze whether current jurisprudence reflects that purpose