Journalism & Press Clause: Floyd Abrams, Jack Balkin, Isaac May, Jacob Schriner-Briggs

A Panel Discussion featuring Floyd Abrams '59 LL.B. and the Authors of the Abrams Institute Press Clause Report, Professor Jack M. Balkin

The press is the only non-governmental institution explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution, yet courts have often treated the First Amendment’s Press Clause as offering journalists no distinct legal protections. At a time when the ability to report the news is under threat—whether from libel suits, economic pressures, or government retaliation—the question of what constitutional and statutory safeguards exist for the press has never been more urgent. This conversation between three experts in their fields—a First Amendment lawyer, a journalist, and a Constitutional law professor—will examine recent developments that threaten the ability of the media to report the news and consider possible legal avenues to safeguard the freedom of the press. 

Floyd Abrams is the founder of the Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School and Senior Counsel in the law firm Cahill, Gordon & Reindel in New York where he practices in the areas of intellectual property, litigation and media. He has a national trial and appellate practice and has argued frequently in front of the Supreme Court. A graduate of Yale Law School and Cornell University, Mr. Abrams is also a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Jack M. Balkin is Knight Professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School. He is the founder and director of Yale’s Information Society Project, an interdisciplinary center that studies law and new information technologies. He also directs the Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression, and the Knight Law and Media Program at Yale.

Isaac Barnes May is a scholar specializing in the First Amendment, focusing on how religion, speech, and press freedoms developed in response to social and technological changes. He is a Resident Fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project and the Floyd Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression. 

Jacob M. Schriner-Briggs is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. His work focuses on constitutional theory, the First Amendment, and the relationships between expressive freedom, knowledge institutions, and self-government. A 2021 graduate of Yale Law