Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Stanford law students protest the apology to Judge Duncan
That's the story according to this journalist (with a somewhat selective interest in free speech matters in my experience). I'd be curious to hear from those at Stanford, faculty or students, whether this is accurate. Please use a valid email address, which will not appear. (Submit your comment only once, it may take awhile to appear.)
https://leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2023/03/stanford-law-students-protest-the-apology-to-judge-duncan.html
A Remedy for Stanford Law School’s Free Speech Thugs * * * Complaints to Bar Admission Authorities About Student Disruptors https://bit.ly/3JHwdt3
Those who value free speech at law schools should consider reporting law students who deliberately prevent guests from speaking – in clear violation of university rules – to bar admission authorities, suggests public interest law professor John Banzhaf, who has filed several successful bar complaints. . . .
Since it appears that the school will not be disciplining any of the student offenders - especially since a high ranking law school dean apparently organized and led the shouting which prevented other students from hearing the invited speaker - the only effective remedy might be for law students and/or law faculty concerned about free speech to consider informing bar admission authorities of their actions. . . .
So, although Stanford may refuse to discipline the offending students for deliberately shouting down an invited guest speaker, authorities charged with insuring that applicants for the bar possess the requisite character and fitness to be entrusted with the enormous powers which those admitted to the bar wield may well take a dim view of such conduct.
If Stanford refuses to enforce its own free speech policy and discipline the student disruptors, the only effective remedy may be for other law students and/or law faculty who care about free speech to consider informing bar admission authorities of what they did.
If no one is willing to actually file such complaints now after the fact, at the very least law students at Stanford - and at the many other law schools where similar free speech violations have occurred - should be put on notice that formal bar admission complaints may be filed in the future if similar violations occur, suggests Banzhaf.
Posted by: LawProf John Banzhaf | Mar 15, 2023 12:27:53 PM