Blasi's Freedom of Speech in the History of Ideas: Landmark Cases, Historic Essays, and Recent Developments

This special Concise Edition of the Ideas of the First Amendment casebook provides teaching materials that serve well in settings other than a 3 or 4 hour law school course on the First Amendment, which is what the casebook originally was designed for and continues to be used in. One such setting is a law school seminar on the freedom of speech that focuses on the most important recent cases. A second setting is an introductory undergraduate or journalism school course on the First Amendment. The First Amendment decisions of the Roberts Court represent an unusual teaching opportunity because so many of the majority opinions and the dissents they have provoked are driven by strong views, often brilliantly argued, regarding fundamental principles. For that reason, a basic familiarity with the history of ideas regarding the freedom of speech is an essential predicate for the study of recent developments. This casebook emphasizes both the classic writings on the subject and the richness of argumentation in the contemporary disputes, both of which engage at the level of fundamental principles. This emphasis combined with the book’s manageable length makes it more suitable for law school seminars and courses in other departments than First Amendment casebooks that are designed for introductory law school courses.