Activate Diversity - The First Amendment Under Fire

What Every Lawyer Needs to Know to Weather the Current Storm At a time when free speech, press freedom, academic inquiry, and the right to protest are increasingly contested, the First Amendment stands at a crossroads. From government retaliation against disfavored viewpoints to efforts to chill speech through legislation, funding threats, and social pressure, lawyers must understand not only what the First Amendment says, but how it is being tested--and reshaped--in real time. In this timely one-hour webinar, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky--one of the nation’s foremost constitutional scholars--will examine the modern First Amendment landscape and what every lawyer needs to know to navigate and defend this foundational American right during a period of heightened polarization and institutional stress. Sponsor ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division Diversity Board Co-Sponsors ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity ABA Judicial Division ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice ABA Section of Litigation ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Panelist Erwin Chemerinsky https://www.americanbar.org/profile.c5OTcMDAxMD/ Moderator Hon. Benes Z. Aldana (Ret.) https://www.americanbar.org/profile.M2ODAMDA0MT/ Recorded April 21, 2026 ----- The content of this program does not meet requirements for continuing legal education (CLE) accreditation. You will not receive CLE credit for participating. The opinions and views expressed herein are solely those of the presenters and participants and should not be construed to be those of the American Bar Association nor the ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division.