Figures of Speech: First Amendment Heroes and Villains

William Bennett Turner, a Berkeley law professor who has argued three cases before the Supreme Court, examines controversial First Amendment cases spanning from the Red Scare era to Citizens United. The book traces how contemporary understanding of free speech has developed through these landmark cases. Turner presents a diverse cast of figures involved in these cases, including Communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Ku Klux Klansmen, a pornographer, prison wardens, reporters, federal judges, a computer expert, and a countercultural comedian. Some cases are drawn from Turner's own litigation experience. The book documents how the scope of First Amendment freedoms has evolved and the individuals behind some of the most significant legal decisions in modern American history.