Justice Clarence Thomas has surprised observers with his independent vision on First Amendment issues, including questioning interpretations of the establishment clause.| The Free Speech Center
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia viewed First Amendment protections in a narrow, but sometimes libertarian, fashion. He considered himself an "originalist."| The Free Speech Center
Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president, supported a free and independent press, but thought the Supreme Court got it wrong on school prayer.| The Free Speech Center
Obscenity refers to a narrow category of pornography that violates contemporary community standards is not protected by the First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
Robert Jackson, a Supreme Court justice from 1941 to 1954, believed strongly in separation of church and state and free speech protections First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
Chief Justice Warren Burger introduced the Lemon test for determining whether government actions violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
Wallace v. Jaffree (1985) struck down a state law requiring a minute of silence in public schools. The Court said the law had a religious purpose and violated the First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
In First Amendment law, Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, was known for her religious liberty opinions.| The Free Speech Center
Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan II was an architect of First Amendment jurisprudence in obscenity law, freedom of association, expressive conduct, and offensive speech.| The Free Speech Center