Event Details
June 18, 2024, 1:30-3:30 p.m. with optional luncheon beforehand beginning at 11:45 a.m.
In person at Kansas State University Olathe Campus, 22201 W. Innovation Dr., Olathe, KS 66061 and via Zoom
Registration (40 spots available max):
- Free for FBA members (join here);
- $90 for non-FBA members;
- $18 for optional pre-CLE luncheon beginning at 11:45; Luncheon in honor of 25th anniversary of Kansas First Amendment Foundation, hosted by John Holt of FOX4 News and featuring speakers including landmark First Amendment plaintiff John Tinker.;
CLE Materials:
Free Speech On Campus Materials (PDF)
Protecting Freedom of the Press CLE (PDF)
Session 1: Protecting the Freedom of the Press (1:30 p.m.-2:20 p.m.)
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase nationwide in issuance of gag orders and disputes over journalists’ access to court proceedings and documents. At the same time, Kansas became the center of national and international attention with an unprecedent police raid on the newsroom of the Marion County Record. Two noted media law experts will provide an overview of the fundamental First Amendment principles at play in these situations, and discuss the most significant threats to freedom of the press in our current legal landscape.
Panelists:
- Prof. Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law and Director, Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, University of Minnesota, former longtime Executive Director of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Bernard J. Rhodes, Lathrop GPM, Kansas City, Mo., longtime media attorney and counsel for the Marion County Record
Session 2: Free Speech Tested on College Campuses (2:30-3:20 p.m.)
Student protests over Israel’s military action in Gaza have upended life on college campuses in recent months. Culture wars are playing out among college students nationwide, controversial speakers are being invited or un-invited to campus, and universities are struggling to find the line between protected speech and punishable conduct. What are the rights at stake and the legal issues surrounding the protests?
Panelists:
- Prof. Eric Berger, Earl Dunlap Distinguished Professor of Law, Nebraska College of Law and author of several noted “Great Courses” on Constitutional Law
- Prof. Daniel Weddle, UMKC Law School, instructor in “Legal Aspects of Higher Education” course
2 Hours of CLE credit/Kansas and Missouri