With the Charlottesville rally as a backdrop, we will explore what kind of protests the first amendment protects, and where we draw the line between protecting free speech and protecting the safety of our citizenry. How do we balance the first amendment rights of the individual with the well-being of the public? What are the roles of the lawyer, the government and law enforcement? We look forward to a lively and thought provoking discussion on this dynamic topic.

Speakers: Panel members: Leslie Kendrick, First Amendment scholar and Vice Dean of University of Virginia School of Law; Kathleen Dooley, City Attorney for the City of Fredericksburg, and Claire Gastanaga, Executive Director, ACLU of Virginia, the Hon. Michael S. Nachmanoff, U.S. Magistrate Judge, United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, moderator.

We will seek 1.5 hours of CLE credit (0 hours ethics)

COLLABORATING GROUPS:

The following sections/conferences/groups have agreed to work with us to organize a program:

Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia; Old Dominion Bar Association; Access to Legal Justice Committee, Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association, the Virginia Equality Bar Association, the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia.