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Constitutional Law

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

2001

Freedom of Association

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Law

The Expressive Interest Of Associations, Erwin Chemerinsky, Catherine Fisk Apr 2001

The Expressive Interest Of Associations, Erwin Chemerinsky, Catherine Fisk

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Professors Erwin Chemerinsky and Catherine Fisk take issue on several grounds with Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, in which the Supreme Court held that the Boy Scouts have a First Amendment right to exclude gays, even though state law prohibits such discrimination. They first criticize Dale 's holding that courts must accept the group leadership's characterization of the group's expressive message. The Court's approach short-circuited the process by which an organization ordinarily develops or transforms its expressive message--internal deliberation, public articulation of a message, and recruitment of like-minded members-and it did so at the expense of many current and …


The Right Of Expressive Association And Private Universities' Racial Preferences And Speech Codes, David E. Bernstein Apr 2001

The Right Of Expressive Association And Private Universities' Racial Preferences And Speech Codes, David E. Bernstein

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The reaction to Boy Scouts of America v. Dale has divided along ideological lines. Conservatives generally support Dale because in their eyes it prevents the government from taking sides in the culture wars. "Progressives, "including many liberals who otherwise have strong civil libertarian instincts, oppose Dale because it inhibits the enforcement of antidiscrimination laws in some contexts. The underlying issue in Dale was whether a private, nonprofit expressive association has a First Amendment right to discriminate to prevent dilution of its message. Despite the ideological rancor over Dale, this right does not favor groups with any particular perspective, but protects …