News about the First Amendment Clinic (1AC)
For young lawyers, a first appearance in court is a big deal. Standing before a judge and presenting hours of hard work can reaffirm hopes and dreams or it can alter career trajectories; either way, it is not easily forgotten. For third-year students Henry Lu and Joseph Saoud, taking part in the First Amendment Clinic […]
On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Rhonda Lanford ruled that the Wisconsin Department of Justice must release its list of approximately 16,000 law enforcement officers currently certified in the state. The judge rejected the DOJ’s arguments that releasing the list would identify undercover officers, subject officers to harassment, or put them […]
When Edward Martin Jr., the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, chose to publish a letter criticizing the medical journal CHEST it raised a number of concerns. For free speech advocates, the most pressing concern was why a federal prosecutor would target the protected speech of an independent entity. Speaking to Law360, Professor […]
The University of Illinois College of Law is thrilled to welcome five new faculty members to our roster this fall. Sara Gerke joins Illinois as an Associate Professor of Law and Richard W. & Marie L. Corman Scholar. Her research focuses on the ethical and legal challenges of artificial intelligence and big data for health […]
Tuesday, June 11, was about as perfect a day as you could ask for in Cincinnati, Ohio. There was barely a cloud in the sky and the mercury never surpassed 77 degrees. As First Amendment Clinic Director Lena Shapiro and clinicians Lilian Alexandrova ‘24 and Jonathan Resnick ‘24 approached the steps of the U.S. Court […]
Speaking to CNN after pro-Palestinian demonstrators were removed from the campuses of Columbia and Brown, Lena Shapiro, director of the First Amendment Clinic, emphasized the importance of safety during campus demonstrations. She explained colleges should ensure all students have a space to protest while imposing reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of protests […]
The First Amendment Clinic is hiring a Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year. This is a one-year position, with an anticipated start date between June 15, 2024, and August 19, 2024, with the possibility of renewal for a second year depending on performance and funding. The University of Illinois College of Law launched the First […]
On February 1, 2024, College of Law students Cree Medley and Richard J. Sammartino were sworn in by the Honorable Eric I. Long, United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois, at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Urbana.Under the supervision of the University of Illinois College of Law First Amendment Clinic Director Lena […]
When it comes to speech, “There is legal freedom and there is practical freedom,” Professor Lena Shapiro explained. The director of the First Amendment Clinic explained how the freedoms related to speech in the United States are applied on college campuses, especially in the wake of the October 7 attacks in Israel and the ensuing […]
Does the Lanham Act, which provides the national system of trademark registration and protects owners of registered marks against the use of similar marks, allow national political parties to prohibit individuals from using of their name and logo in communications? This is the key question in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for […]