“Although there is a First Amendment right to speak and to protest, this is subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions….The First Amendment does not protect speech to silence others or to disrupt.” - Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, UC Berkeley School of Law
“Book bans …. shut down conversations about important issues….. Young people have a right to the resources and stories that help them mature, learn and understand their world in all its diversity.” – Ashley Hope Perez, Author, Out of Darkness
“This political system encourages divisiveness and partisanship, rather than civility, bipartisanship, and a commitment to problem-solving that leads to finding common ground.” – Former U.S. Senator from Ohio Rob Portman
At the beginning of this semester, I noted that we strive to be a law school that facilitates free expression and encourages diverse viewpoints, but where we also share common values. That’s why we administered a pledge to all our 1L students about four core values– Professional Integrity, Civil Discourse, Academic Effort, and Living Justice.
This morning, I want to focus on the core value of Civil Discourse in our Pledge:
- I pledge to conduct myself with dignity and civility and to treat all people with kindness, courtesy, and respect.
- I pledge to support freedom of speech and diversity of thought and to disagree respectfully, peacefully, and with an open mind.
Over the next two weeks, we are sponsoring three important events that focus on this core value because it’s under grave threat.
Tuesday, October 1, 5pm - Campus Free Speech: What it Means, What it Doesn't Mean, and Why it Matters
I will moderate the discussion, and the panel features our own First Amendment expert, Professor Kevin O’Neill; Sonali Wilson, CSU Vice President and General Counsel, CSU|LAW Leader-in-Residence; and CSU Distinguished Professor of Communications Richard Perloff. The event is at the Student Center Third Floor (SC 311) immediately following President Bloomberg’s State of the University reception.
Thursday, October 10, 9am-3:30pm -Banned Books and Libraries Under Attack - The Fight for Intellectual Freedom
We are partnering with Freedom to Learn Advocates (FTLA) to host a first-of-its kind national conference addressing the surge in book banning and the defense of First Amendment rights. Parents have the right to guide their children’s reading, but no one should dictate what books other parents’ children are allowed to read. Please register today. CLE credit: 3.5
Wednesday, October 16, 11:30am – 1:30pm - Conversation with Former U.S. Senator Rob Portman: Richard Pogue Leadership Conversation Series
Join us for a conversation with Former U.S. Senator Rob Portman for our inaugural Richard W. Pogue Leadership Conversation. In 2010 then Congressman Rob Portman and I were the respective Republican and Democratic nominees for the U.S. Senate. Congressman Portman won the election, and Senator Portman and I will discuss that election campaign and the need for bipartisanship, civility, and open and inclusive dialogue not only in American politics but in society at large.
We’re hosting a number of important events this month, listed below. I hope you can join us for as many of these events as possible!
Upcoming Public Lectures & CLE Events
Campus Free Speech Event
Tuesday, October 1 | 9 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
CSU|LAW Moot Court Room & Virtual
CSU|LAW Dean Lee Fisher will moderate a panel discussion Tuesday, October 1 in the CSU Ballroom featuring Cleveland State University experts in law, communications and government. Learn about free speech, how to exercise free speech on our campus, what is protected and not protected under the First Amendment.
Panelists:
Professor Kevin O'Neill, CSU|LAW
Professor Richard Perloff, Distinguished Professor of Communication, Psychology, and Political Science, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education
Sonali Wilson, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, CSU
The event will also be livestreamed at the link below.
IP+ Conference 2024
Friday, October 4 | 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
CSU|LAW Moot Court Room & Virtual
Join us free for CSU|LAW’s annual IP+ Conference to learn about updates and insights in intellectual property law, the intersection of IP and medicine, IP and AI, and more. The keynote speaker is a fireside chat with Vaishali Udupa, Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Join us for a day filled with captivating discussions, insightful presentations, and networking opportunities. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, this conference has something for everyone.
CLE Pending
Banned Books and Libraries Under Attack: The Fight for Intellectual Freedom in our Communities
Thursday, October 10
CSU|LAW Moot Court Room
Registration Opens: 8:15 a.m.
Conference: 9:00am – 2:15 p.m.
Closing Reception: 2:15pm – 3:30 p.m.
Freedom to Learn Advocates (FTLA) and CSU|LAW invite you to a day dedicated to protecting intellectual freedom.
This event offers you the chance to engage with leading voices, learn effective legal strategies, and discuss how to combat book bans in your community. Whether you’re a lawyer, law student, educator, or community advocate, this is your opportunity to connect with experts and take meaningful action.
Keynote: Dan Novack
Dan Novack is a distinguished First Amendment attorney and Vice President at Penguin Random House, where he leads the defense against book bans across the country. As a founding member of Penguin Random House’s Intellectual Freedom Task Force, Dan is a pivotal figure in protecting free speech rights. His work, featured in the Hollywood Reporter and The Atlantic, and his podcast “SLANDERTOWN,” where he humorously explores legal controversies, make him a leading voice against censorship.
Richard W. Pogue Leadership Conversation Series With Former US Senator from Ohio Rob Portman
Wednesday, October 16 | 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
CSU|LAW Moot Court Room
Former U.S. Senator for Ohio Rob Portman will join us for our inaugural Richard W. Pogue Leadership Conversation.
Rob Portman’s career in public service has spanned three decades and included service in three presidential administrations, as well as two terms in the United States Senate and six terms in the United States House of Representatives.
Show Her the Money
A special All Rise Film Festival event copsponsored by CSU|LAW & CSU Weston Ideation Center!
Thursday, October 17 | 4 p.m.
Berkman Hall Auditorium | 1899 E. 22nd Street
In a story that’s never been told, Show Her The Money addresses how women receive less than 2% of venture capital funding. Featuring rock-star female investors who invest in diverse women entrepreneurs with innovations that will change the world, Show Her The Money reminds us that money is power and women need it to achieve true equality.
The film follows four visionary founders as they endure uphill battles to turn their ideas
into reality. In spite of their dedication and passion constantly being challenged, these
women, with the financial support and mentorship of their angel investors, become even
more determined, resourceful and resilient, and the growth of their businesses is mindblowing.
This free screening will be followed by a panel discussion and cocktail reception.
Cleveland State Law Review Symposium: Learning and Living Law and Justice
Friday, October 25 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
CSU|LAW Moot Court Room
The Symposium will feature panels discussing the meaning of “Justice” within four different areas of law: Educational Justice, Criminal Justice, Administrative Justice and
Democratic Justice.
4 CLE credits for $50 registration fee; Free for non-CLE registrants
Criminal Justice Forum’s 25th Anniversary: No Crime Wrongful Convictions: The ‘New’ Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Identity
Tuesday, October 29 | 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
CSU|LAW Moot Court Room
CLE pending
Currently, 75% of exonerated women were wrongly convicted of a crime that never occurred. Most of these women were caretakers of a loved one who died – a husband who died in his sleep, a loved one who died by suicide, a child who fatally succumbed to a health condition. Stigma and bias, bolstered by junk science, led prosecutors to wrongly believe that these women committed crimes even when there was no criminal act. Now, prosecutors mobilize this same tragic combination of stigma, bias, and junk science to charge and convict pregnant people and new mothers for fetal assault or even murder. Professor Valena Beety, Mauer School of Law, Indiana University, will provide insight to the current debate on wrongful reproductive convictions and draw from our history of women who were wrongly convicted of unintentional miscarriages, accidental deaths, and other fictitious crimes.
Details and Registration coming soon!
CSU|LAW 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Friday, October 25 | 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
CSU Student Center Glasscock Ballroom.
Dean Lee Fisher and the faculty and staff of Cleveland State University College of Law
are pleased to invite you to attend the 2024 CSU|LAW Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
This year, CSU|LAW will induct 22 distinguished alumni, faculty, staff, friends and community leaders.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are now available for the 2024 ceremony.
Have a great day and a great week.
The views and opinions expressed in my Monday Morning Message are solely my own and do not reflect the views and opinions of the law school or the university.
For copies of past messages, please go to this link: Monday Morning Messages
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My best,
Lee
Lee Fisher
Dean, Cleveland State University College of Law
Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law
Chair, American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on Leadership
1801 Euclid Avenue, LB 138 |Cleveland, Ohio 44115 -2214
216-386-8688 | lee.fishernull@csuohio.nulledu