Law Commons^™

Anti-Antisemitism Now, Lili Levi

University of Miami Law Review

On May 25, 2023, the Biden Administration released The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism—America’s first national strategy of this kind. In early November 2023, the White House announced the establishment of the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia. These historic commitments respond to increases in identity-based bias incidents and expression against Jews and Muslims. Antisemitic incidents, which were already rising even before the pandemic, increased by almost 400% since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The war also triggered a sharp upturn in Islamophobic incidents in the U.S., including the shooting of three college students and …

The News Media Engagement Principle: Why Social Media Has Not Actually Overrun The Limited Purpose Public Figure Category, Zachary R. Cormier

University of Miami Law Review

Has the rise of social media ruined the limited purpose public figure category of the First Amendment’s actual malice privilege? Justice Gorsuch believes so—and he has recently invited courts to get rid of it. He argues that the category now includes vast numbers of otherwise private citizens that have “become ‘public figures’ on social media overnight.” With so many people qualifying as limited purpose public figures (and having to overcome the actual malice standard to prevail on a defamation claim), he claims that the category has evolved to provide an unjustified shield for the masses of misinformation-peddlers on social media. …

For Freedom Or Full Of It? State Attempts To Silence Social Media, Grace Slicklen

University of Miami Law Review

Freedom of speech is, unsurprisingly, foundational to the “land of the free.” However, the “land of the free” has undergone some changes since the First Amendment’s ratification. Unprecedented technological evolution has ushered in a digital forum in which the volume, speed, and reach of words transcend the Framers’ visions of the First Amendment’s aims. Social media platforms have become central spaces for public discourse, where opportunities to create—and repress—speech are endless. From enabling individuals to freely express their views, to allowing state actors to limit open exchanges, it is about time that the Supreme Court tackles this complex issue of …

Establishing An End To Lemon In The Eleventh Circuit, Amanda Harmon Cooley

University of Miami Law Review

Over half a century ago, the Supreme Court decided Lemon v. Kurtzman, the most controversial Establishment Clause case in judicial history. And despite the Lemon test’s constant criticism, the Court has never expressly overruled the decision in its entirety. This continues to be the case even after Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, in which the Court noted Lemon’s abandonment rather than its complete abrogation. As a result, lower federal district courts have been left in limbo regarding whether Lemon is fair game for any of their Establishment Clause determinations and have been inconsistent in using it as …

Maritime Magic: How Cruise Lines Can Avoid State Law Compliance Through Passenger Contracts, Cameron Chuback

University of Miami Law Review

Florida Statutes section 381.00316 prohibits businesses in Florida from requiring consumers to provide documentary proof of COVID-19 vaccination to access businesses’ goods and services. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (“NCLH”) has recently challenged section 381.00316’s applicability to its cruise operations because NCLH believes that requiring its passengers to provide documentary proof of COVID-19 vaccination is the one constant that allows NCLH’s cruise ships to smoothly access foreign ports, which have differing COVID-19 protocols and rules. In Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd. v. Rivkees, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled in favor of NCLH on this …

Expert Testimony By Public University Faculty: Exposing Doctrinal Deficiencies Of Academic Freedom As A Legal Right And Proposing A Solution Within The Public-Employee Speech Doctrine, Clay Calvert

University of Miami Law Review

When the University of Florida (“UF”) prohibited three professors in 2021 from serving as expert witnesses in a lawsuit filed against the State of Florida, the decision sparked a national debate about academic freedom and free speech at public universities. The professors also sued UF in federal court in Austin v. University of Florida Board of Trustees alleging a violation of their First Amendment rights. This Article asserts that the constitutional doctrine of academic freedom is sadly deficient for resolving such lawsuits. The Article explains, instead, that the public-employee speech doctrine provides the appropriate framework for analyzing cases filed by …

Muzzling Anti-Vaxxer Fear Speech: Overcoming Free Speech Obstacles With Compelled Speech, Barbara Pfeffer Billauer

University of Miami Law Review

As the anti-vax industry continues to stoke fear and incite vaccine resistance, some means must be found to detoxify their false messages. Counterspeech, the preferred mode to deal with unfortunate rhetoric, is both ineffective and counter-effective when addressing factual “scientific speech” addressing health, I show here that many instances of the most potent anti-vax speech arise in the context of arguably commercial speech. I therefore investigate other free speech protections available to shield factually false anti-vax speech used in this context, concluding that while complete First Amendment protection may exist in the context of political speech (without proof of fraud), …

Bitcoin Is Speech: Notes Toward Developing The Conceptual Contours Of Its Protection Under The First Amendment, Justin S. Wales, Richard J. Ovelmen

University of Miami Law Review

Bitcoin permits users to engage in direct expressive activity with one another without the need for centralized intermediaries. It does so by utilizing an open and community-managed global database called a blockchain. While much of the literature about Bitcoin has focused on its use as a form of digital payment, this Article suggests an expanded understanding by demonstrating its use as a protocol network, not unlike the internet, that can be used to extend the possible range of human expression. After developing an appreciation of the technology, this Article recommends a framework for applying the First Amendment to Bitcoin and …

Opportunistic Originalism And The Establishment Clause, Caroline Mala Corbin

Articles

This Article argues that the Supreme Court's use of originalism is opportunistic because sometimes the Court relies on it, and sometimes it does not. This inconsistency is evident in two recent decisions with significant Establishment Clause consequences: Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014) and Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017). In Town of Greece, the Supreme Court applied an originalist analysis to uphold the government's policy of sponsoring predominantly Christian prayers before town meetings. In Trinity Lutheran Church, the Supreme Court failed to conduct an originalist analysis of direct government funding to churches before ordering a state to award a …

Fearless Speech, Mary Anne Franks

Articles

The American conception of free speech is primarily defined as the freedom to say whatever one wants, with little regard for the quality, context, or impact of the speech. Thus, American free speech doctrine is often characterized as neutral with regard to the speaker and the content of speech; in practice, however, it consistently privileges powerful over vulnerable speakers and harmful over critical speech.

From Philadelphia to Skokie to Charlottesville, the First Amendment has been interpreted to protect speech by white men that silences and endangers women and minorities. As free speech doctrine and practice become increasingly concerned with private …

Keynote Address, Justice John Paul Stevens (Ret.)

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ending The Pursuit: Releasing Attorney Advertising Regulations At The Intersection Of Technology And The First Amendment, Jan L. Jacobowitz

Articles

No abstract provided.

Nonconsensual Pornography And The First Amendment: A Case For A New Unprotected Category Of Speech, Alix Iris Cohen

University of Miami Law Review

Nonconsensual pornography, or the distribution of sexually graphic images of individuals without their consent, is not illegal at the federal level, nor is it illegal in the majority of states. Failure to pass laws prohibiting nonconsensual pornography, commonly referred to as “revenge porn,” leaves many victims without recourse. Opponents of legislation regulating revenge porn claim that it cannot be banned because it constitutes speech that is protected by the First Amendment. This Comment argues that nonconsensual pornography should be considered an unprotected category of speech, which would enable it to be prohibited without triggering First Amendment concerns. The method of …

Lies And Their Protection: A Comparison Of The Right To Lie About Receiving A Military Honor In The United States And Canada, Marilyn N. Harvey

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

No abstract provided.

"Public ... Since Time Immemorial": The Labor History Of Hague V. Cio, Kenneth M. Casebeer

Articles

No abstract provided.

"Smut And Nothing But": The Fcc, Indecency, And Regulatory Transformations In The Shadows, Lili Levi

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Problem Of Trans-National Libel, Lili Levi

Articles

Forum shopping in trans-national libel cases-"libel tourism"- - has a chilling effect on journalism, academic scholarship, and scientific criticism. The United States and Britain (the most popular venue for such cases) have recently attempted to address the issue legislatively. In 2010, the United States passed the SPEECH Act, which prohibits recognition and enforcement of libel judgments from jurisdictions applying law less speech-protective than the First Amendment. In Britain, consultation has closed and the Parliamentary Joint Committee has issued its report on a broad-ranging libel reform bill proposed by the Government in March 2011. This Article questions the extent to which …

Endless Pursuit: Capturing Technology At The Intersection Of The First Amendment And Attorney Advertising, Jan L. Jacobowitz, Gayland O. Heathcote Ii

Articles

No abstract provided.

Spreading Angst Or Promoting Free Expression? Regulating Hate Speech On The Internet, Joshua Spector

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

No abstract provided.

Faith In Justice: Fiduciaries, Malpractice & Sexual Abuse By Clergy, Zanita E. Fenton

Articles

No abstract provided.

A Matter Of Opinion: Milkovich Four Years Later, Kathryn D. Sowle

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Right To Scrutinize Government: Toward A First Amendment Theory Of Accountability, Anthony Lewis

University of Miami Law Review

The speaker eschews the view that the press enjoys a "preferred position" under the first amendment and aligns his beliefs with the view of Alexander Meiklejohn-an informed public is necessary for the success of a self-governing democracy. Mr. Lewis analyzes case law and concludes that the Court should cautiously "develop the principle of public accountability as a fundamental premise of the first amendment," guaranteeing a limited right of acquiring information to scrutinize government.

In Search Of Premises, Irving Younger

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.

Commentary: The Limited Utility Of The First Amendment As A Means Of Securing Access By The Press And The Public To Proceedings In Criminal Cases, Edward L. Barrett Jr.

University of Miami Law Review

The author examines the models proposed in Gannett Co. v. DePasquale to provide constitutional protection of a public interest in access to judicial proceedings without impairing the interest of the defendant in a fair trial. Whether based on the first amendment or the sixth amendment, a constitutional approach requiring an immediate and delicate balancing of those interests by the trial court would be, in the author's view, unsatisfactory and unworkable. In the alternative, he suggests that legislative rather than judicial balancing may provide a more practical solution.

Press Rights And Government Power To Structure The Press, C. Edwin Baker

University of Miami Law Review

First, Professor Baker explores an instrumentalist argument for special press rights going beyond those protected by a liberty theory of freedom of speech. Then, in Part II, he examines the threats of -government power and private economic power to freedom of the "press" and considers the permissible extent of government intervention to structure the press or to protect it from private threats.

Panel Discussion

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.

Note: Richmond Newspapers, Inc. V. Virginia: A Demarcation Of Access, Dennis Scholl

University of Miami Law Review

Several months after this symposium, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia, holding that the Constitution implicitly guarantees the right of the public to attend a criminal trial, which a court must keep open to the public, absent an express finding of an overriding interest. This note explores the numerous opinions in Richmond Newspapers to determine whether that case has expanded access rights since the recent decision in Gannett Co. v. DePasquale. The author reconciles the two decisions and concludes that the issues raised in the symposium remain vital.

The First Amendment And The Press, Irwin P. Stotzky

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.