2019 Jaworski Public Programs

Framing Questions

Are twenty-first century communication technologies so changing how we produce and consume information in the public sphere that they threaten to undermine the freedoms of speech and of the press that sustain deliberative democracy?
What is the “marketplace of ideas”? What is its significance for the First Amendment?
Does the “marketplace of ideas” still offer a powerful rationale for freedom of expression or is it outmoded in a networked era of ubiquitous and rapidly disseminated information, fake news, and weaponized political speech? If the latter, what might replace it?
Does protecting a free society from disinformation present such a compelling interest today that we should reformulate the role that law can, and cannot, play? What might be done and by whom? Courts? Legislatures? Law enforcement? Regulators? Others?
How can we best maintain our commitments to free speech and freedom of the press while confronting our information-society challenges?

Speakers and Panelists

Bob Carlson | ABA President

Bob Carlson, a shareholder with the Butte, Montana, law firm of Corette Black Carlson & Mickelson, P.C., is president of the American Bar Association, the world's largest voluntary professional organization with more than 400,000 members.

Floyd Abrams | Panelist

Floyd Abrams is Senior Counsel in Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP’s litigation practice group. Abrams has a national trial and appellate practice and extensive experience in high-visibility matters, often involving First Amendment, securities litigation, intellectual property, public policy and regulatory issues.

Frederick Schauer | Panelist

Frederick Schauer is David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia. He was Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard University from 1990 to 2008, where he also served as Academic Dean and Acting Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Jeffrey Rosen | Moderator

Jeffrey Rosen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the U.S. Constitution.

Dahlia Lithwick | Panelist

Dahlia Lithwick is a senior editor at Slate, writing the “Supreme Court Dispatches” and “Jurisprudence” columns since 1999. She is host of Amicus, Slate’s award-winning biweekly legal affairs podcast. Lithwick was Newsweek’s legal columnist from 2008 until 2011.

Nicole Wong | Panelist

Nicole Wong specializes in assisting high-growth technology companies to develop international privacy and regulatory strategies. She previously served as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer in the Obama Administration, focused on internet, privacy, and innovation policy.