Students in the Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic have responsibility for representing clients in civil litigation cases implicating First Amendment rights of persons and organizations otherwise unable to afford counsel for those matters. Casework focuses on free speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly. Through representation of their clients, students display the foundational principles of current First Amendment doctrine, including prior restraint, time/place/manner restrictions, content and viewpoint discrimination, and the intersection of the rights protected by the Amendment. As part of that work, students engage in legal advocacy, including: client interviewing and counseling; research, writing, and drafting; discovery; oral and written advocacy; negotiation; and client-centered lawyering. Critical reflection, consistent engagement with ethical rules, and examination of the role of the lawyer in a legal system and the local community.
