LAWS 837 - Commercial Speech Seminar

Credits: 3

In Valentine v. Chrestensen, 316 U.S. 52 (1942), the United States Supreme Court said, "We are ...clear that the Constitution imposes no ... restraint on government as respects purely commercial advertising." Since 1942, however, speech that is "commercial" has been afforded greater constitutional protection against government regulation. This seminar will explore whether commercial speech is different from other speech and whether the identity of the speaker matters in determining the extent to which commercial speech may be regulated. The course will trace the development of the "commercial speech doctrine" and seek to provoke inquiry into the consequences of providing full First Amendment protection for commercial speech.

Prerequisites: None

Note: This course satisfies the graduation writing requirement.

Basis of Grade: Paper

Form of Grade: Letter Grade

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