The Seattle National Lawyers Guild and the American Constitution Society presented a CLE program in Constitutional Law:
 

Whose Right? Corporations, People and the 1st Amendment

October 29, 2010

hosted by the University of Washington School of Law, Seattle

 This year the United States Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United v. FEC decision held that certain kinds of political spending by corporations and unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment.  In addition, the Court’s recent Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project decision concluded that advocating for peace and human rights while "providing material support” to groups designated by the Secretary of State as "foreign terrorist organizations" can be punished as a terrorist act.


These cases raise fundamental questions about the scope of the First Amendment. What impact does Citizens United have on the political landscape?  Will all voices, including those of dissenters, minorities and poor people be heard? What does Citizens United say about stare decisis?  How does a finding of "providing material support" affect refugees, asylum seekers and those who promote peace and human rights?  Alternately, what government interests are advanced by such rules and to what extent are those interests protected? 
 

 
Ronald K.L. Collins, Harold S. Shefelman Scholar, University of Washington School of Law and nationally recognized expert and author on First Amendment law and theory.


Michael Withey, Seattle public interest lawyer whose practice areas include consumer cases against corporations, government liability, free speech and personal injury.

      Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project


Shayana Kadidal, senior managing attorney of the Guantánamo Global Justice Initiative, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York City; co-counsel on the Humanitarian Law Project case.

J. Ashlee Albies, Associate, Creighton & Rose, PC, Portland, whose practice areas include civil rights, employee-side employment law and police misconduct litigation.