First Amendment

Lawyer arrested at state bar meeting for carrying petitions reaches settlement

An Arkansas lawyer who was arrested for carrying ballot petitions at a state bar meeting in June 2024 has reached an out-of-court settlement that calls for payment of $200,000 to her lawyers.

Jan 22, 2025 2:58 PM CST

Penn Law is quicker to discipline whites than minorities, controversial prof alleges in lawsuit

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is facing a lawsuit alleging that the school violated First Amendment principles and anti-discrimination laws when it disciplined a professor for her controversial remarks.

Jan 21, 2025 12:29 PM CST

SCOTUS will decide whether schools can require LGBTQ-themed books at story time with no opt-outs

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide whether schools can require teachers to read storybooks to elementary-age children with LGBTQ characters and themes over parents’ objections.

Jan 21, 2025 10:27 AM CST

Meta will end DEI programs, citing changing ‘legal and policy landscape’

Meta, the owner and operator of Facebook and Instagram, is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programs effective immediately.

Jan 13, 2025 10:47 AM CST

Oregon law barring secret audio recordings does not violate First Amendment, en banc appeals court says

A federal appeals court has tossed a challenge to an Oregon law that generally bans secret audio recordings.

Jan 9, 2025 11:14 AM CST

Supreme Court considers putting TikTok on the chopping block

The clock is ticking for TikTok in the United States. Later this week, however, the social media application and some of its content creators still have time to make their case to the U.S. Supreme Court against a federal statute that threatens to banish TikTok on Jan. 19.

Jan 8, 2025 1:50 PM CST

First Amendment bars kosher inspector from suing Jewish nonprofit, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has found that an inspector who ensured that food products complied with Jewish dietary law cannot pursue a job-related lawsuit against the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, a nonprofit corporation that runs the country’s largest kosher certification program.

Jan 2, 2025 1:23 PM CST

New Jersey bar can reserve positions for members of underrepresented groups, appeals court says

The New Jersey State Bar Association has a First Amendment right to expressive association that would be violated if forced to change a diversity program for leadership positions, a state appeals court has ruled.

Dec 23, 2024 2:22 PM CST

Supreme Court will decide whether TikTok ban violates the First Amendment

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider the constitutionality of a law that bans TikTok in the United States if the company isn't sold.

Dec 18, 2024 2:17 PM CST

TikTok asks SCOTUS to block law that would shut down app

TikTok has asked the Supreme Court to block a federal law that would shut down the wildly popular platform in the United States next month unless the company divests from Chinese ownership.

Dec 17, 2024 11:25 AM CST

Lawyers who critique critical race theory may challenge Connecticut’s anti-bias ethics rule, 2nd Circuit says

Two lawyers who fear their comments could lead to discipline under Connecticut’s anti-bias ethics rule have standing to sue, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Dec 10, 2024 12:45 PM CST

Appeals court upholds nationwide TikTok ban-or-sale law

A Washington federal appeals court has turned away a challenge to a fast-approaching nationwide ban of short-video app TikTok unless it divests from Chinese ownership by Jan. 19, affirming the law as constitutional.

Dec 6, 2024 12:48 PM CST

Idaho can enforce ban on aid to minors who leave state for abortions, with one exception, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has blocked just one provision of Idaho’s abortion-trafficking law that bans aid to minors getting abortions.

Dec 3, 2024 10:15 AM CST

Columbia law prof facing probe over campus-protest comments says firm ‘abruptly’ dropped her as client

A Columbia Law School professor has said in an ethics complaint a law firm “abandoned” her as a client during a probe of her comments about campus protests “with no notice and no explanation."

Oct 22, 2024 3:50 PM CDT

Moms for Liberty wins constitutional challenge to school board’s comments policy

A federal appeals court has ruled for Moms for Liberty, a conservative parental rights group, in its challenge to a Florida school board policy that allows the presiding officer to interrupt meeting comments that are “personally directed,” “abusive” or “obscene.”

Oct 10, 2024 1:09 PM CDT