Speech, Conduct, and the First Amendment

Speech, Conduct, and the First Amendment offers a concise yet thorough review of all areas of First Amendment jurisprudence, including historical background and the most recent developments. Points of difference – as well as agreement – among justices of the Supreme Court are connected to broader theories of First Amendment and constitutional interpretation and politics. The presentation of substantial case excerpts and selected secondary materials provide opportunities for critical analysis, and readers are encouraged to reach their own conclusions about the relative merits of different interpretative approaches, while becoming familiar with the full range of past and present theories about the meaning of the First Amendment.

The Author: Howard Schweber teaches courses on constitutional law, the First Amendment, and related subjects in the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received a J.D. from the University of Washington, an M.A. in history from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University, in New York. He has previously published numerous articles on topics in American law and legal history, and is the author of a forthcoming book about the development of American common law in the nineteenth century.