
14 episodes

Make No Law: The First Amendment Podcast Legal Talk Network
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- Politics
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5.0 • 6 Ratings
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Ken White explores the background of important First Amendment cases and the personalities and history that led to them. Join Ken, First Amendment litigator and law blogger at Popehat.com, as he interviews some of the people behind America’s most important free speech cases.
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Imminent Lawless Action
Ken White explores how the First Amendment has handled inflammatory speech, from Schenck to the current Brandenburg standard and all the way up to today.
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I Know It When I See It
Host Ken White dives into the famously ambiguous obscenity standards set forth by the United States Supreme Court.
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Deplatformed: Social Media Censorship and the First Amendment
Host Ken White looks at the legal bases of arguments made by critics of social media sites moderation and shows why Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube bans are legally protected.
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Gag
Criminal or civil, plaintiff or defendant — what’s the one piece of legal advice all should follow? Shut up! That being said, should a judge be able to make you do this?
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The F-Bomb
On April 26, 1968, Paul Robert Cohen walked down the corridor of the Los Angeles County Courthouse at the corner of Grand and 1st. He didn’t start a fight, he didn’t make any threats, he didn’t even hold up a sign, but he did wear a jacket. This jacket featured “STOP THE WAR,” two peace signs, and the phrase “FUDGE THE DRAFT” (only it didn’t say “fudge”). The result was a court battle over whether the government has the power to punish the use of the word fuck because many find it offens
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Bonus: The Mailbag Episode
Host Ken White answers common questions his listeners have about freedom of speech and the First Amendment. He addresses the misleading claim that “hate speech is not free speech,”, explains the case that challenged President Trump’s ability to block people on Twitter, and talks about how anti-SLAPP statutes work. Ken also takes advantage of the opportunity to discuss yelling on the internet and the constitutional right to petition the government.
Customer Reviews
Really interesting, even for a Brit
Not being American, or living in the USA, I don't have any direct stakes in First Amendment questions. However, fascinating issues of censorship and free expression are discussed in an accessible way on Make No Law, and it's got me thinking about them and their effects, in British and American societies. Recommended.
Good stuff!
A superbly produced podcast covering a fascinating and important subject.