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Full-Text Articles in Law

The Involuntary Public Figure Class Of Gertz V. Robert Welch: Dead Or Merely Dormant?, Dale K. Nichols Oct 1980

The Involuntary Public Figure Class Of Gertz V. Robert Welch: Dead Or Merely Dormant?, Dale K. Nichols

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article does not resolve the debate over involuntary public figures but argues instead that in light of the Court's pronouncements in Firestone, Hutchinson and Walston, the involuntary class should be abolished. Part I briefly traces the evolution and significance of public figure status in defamation law, and reviews various interpretations of the involuntary public figure references in Gertz. Part II examines the status of the involuntary class after Firestone, Hutchinson and Walston, and discusses the extent to which future use of the class remains logically consistent with those decisions. Finally, the article considers the merits of …


The Public Broadcasting Act: The Licensee Editorializing Ban And The First Amendment, John C. Grabow Apr 1980

The Public Broadcasting Act: The Licensee Editorializing Ban And The First Amendment, John C. Grabow

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article contends that the public is deprived of an important source of information on public affairs issues as a result of the section 399(a) prohibition on editorializing. After an examination of the legislative history of Section 399(a), and the heritage of broadcast regulation in the United States, the article concludes that the prohibition on editorializing is an improper restriction on free expression in violation of the First Amendment.