Law Commons^™

Charles Dickens likely never imagined that he would be quoted so often in legal discourse.' Yet it is not surprising that he resonates in the world of legal theory, rich as his work is with ironies that operate on personal as well as political levels. Take, for example, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, in which a revolution fought in the name of liberty turns to tyranny, and stable, tradition-bound Burkean ideals provide the means to freedom for those terrorized in the name of liberty.2 The seeds of such ironies have also taken root in the law of our two "cities," …

This article posits that regulating in an area of speech that raises questions about its social value and potential harm will be extremely difficult under the Roberts Court. Government restrictions targeting the content of low value, but protected, expression will be reviewed under the exacting standards of core First Amendment speech. Even though the broadcast indecency policy is shrouded in administrative agency deference standards, it is unlikely that the Court will give the FCC free-wheeling reign to enforce its new policy, which is much more speech-restrictive than the FCC’s enforcement policy of the past forty years. While the Court may …