Synopses & Reviews
From the Patriot Act to Janet Jackson's Super Bowl show, recent events have embroiled America's First Amendment rights in ongoing battles to maintain this country's freedom of expression. And with the media taking an ever-more prominent role in the lifestyles of all citizens, the First Amendment continues to be one of the most hotly and dramatically contested issues in the public eye.
Now, with Speaking Freely, Floyd Abrams, the attorney on the front lines of America's fight for uncensored expression for more than thirty years, re-creates eight of the most important cases of his careerlandmark trials and Supreme Court arguments in cases involving key First Amendment protections, including the famous Pentagon Papers case. With adversaries as diverse as Richard Nixon, Wayne Newton, and Rudy Giuliani, and allies as unlikely as Kenneth Starr and Senator Mitch McConnell, Abrams takes readers behind the scenes to examine his strategies, the ramifications of each of the decisions, and the long-term significance of each case, while presenting a clear and compelling look at the law in action.
In the tradition of bestselling authors on legal issues such as F. Lee Bailey, Louis Nizer, and Alan Dershowitz, Floyd Abrams conveys the dramatic immediacy of the trials and appeals in which First Amendment law has been created and addresses the continuing importance of upholding America's constitutional right to free speech.
Review
"This highly accessible book should have wide appeal for lawyers, journalists, and students interested in First Amendment issues." Booklist
Review
"Abrams's subject matter is sophisticated, and his approach is pitched at a higher level than much that passes for today's commentary on current events. Complex yet lucidly conveyed points of constitutional interpretation, never bogged in jargon." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Abrams writes engagingly....By the end of the book, though, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that free-speech conflicts today have less easily identifiable heroes and villains than they once did." New York Times
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"In Speaking Freely, Floyd Abrams writes with clarity, drama, and passion about a subject he knows as well as anyone alive. He hits hard, like the heavyweight he is a brilliant champion of the First Amendment." Dan Rather, CBS News
Synopsis
In the tradition of such bestselling authors on legal issues as F. Lee Bailey, Louis Nizer, and Alan Dershowitz, Abrams discusses seven of the most important cases of his career landmark cases that upheld key First Amendment protections.
Synopsis
For the past quarter century, William Bennett Turner has taught “The First Amendment and the Press” at UC Berkeley. He also teaches First Amendment courses at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco. As a San Francisco lawyer, Turner specialized in unusual litigation, including constitutional law, and has argued three cases (including two First Amendment cases) before the U.S. Supreme Court. He founded his own law firm in San Francisco in 1978 and served as its senior partner until 1992.
Turner has published dozens of articles in magazines, newspapers, and law reviews. He also has served as legal affairs correspondent for KQED television, winning numerous awards for news and documentaries on legal subjects. He has appeared on Nightline, CBS Morning News, PBS News Hour, CNN, the Spanish equivalent of 60 Minutes, and radio talk shows around the country.
Synopsis
For the last 25 years, William Bennett Turner has taught a course on the First Amendment at UC Berkeley. His book, Figures of Speech, describes the colorful characters who have played roles in important First Amendment controversies. Choosing figures and cases from his own personal experience, Turner illustrates broad First Amendment principles and describes how we’ve arrived at our contemporary understanding of the First Amendment’s meaning.
Synopsis
The rights guaranteed in the First Amendment—including freedom of expression—are among the fundamental touchstones of our democracy. In Speaking Freely, Floyd Abrams, who for over thirty years has been our most eloquent and respected advocate for uncensored expression, recounts some of the major cases of his remarkable career—landmark trials and Supreme Court arguments that have involved key First Amendment protections.With adversaries as diverse as Richard Nixon and Wayne Newton and allies as unlikely as Kenneth Starr, Abrams takes readers behind the scenes to explain his strategies, the ramifications of each decision, and its long-term significance, presenting a clear and compelling look at the law in action.
About the Author
Floyd Abrams is a partner at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel in New York City. Described by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan as the "most significant First Amendment lawyer of our age," Abrams is currently the William J. Brennan Visiting Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Table of Contents
Introduction xi
- The Pentagon Papers Case 1
- To the Supreme Court and After 32
- Truth and the First Amendment 62
- Wayne Newton and the Law 94
- The Heroin Trail 124
- McCarthyism and Libel 153
- The Brooklyn Museum Case 188
- Campaign Finance Reform and the First Amendment 231
- At Home and Abroad 276
Acknowledgements 289
Notes 291
Index 299