BOZEMAN, Mont.—Erwin Chemerinsky, a nationally recognized constitutional law scholar and expert on free speech, will deliver a public lecture at Montana State University on Thursday, Oct. 22, examining First Amendment rights and the challenges facing American universities.
The lecture, titled “The First Amendment and the Modern University: A Conversation with Erwin Chemerinsky,” will begin at 6 p.m. in the Strand Union Building ballrooms. The event is free and open to the public.
Chemerinsky is dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he also serves as the Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law. He is widely known for his scholarship on constitutional law, particularly free speech and academic freedom.
During his presentation, Chemerinsky is expected to discuss the importance of protecting free expression on college campuses and the challenges universities face in balancing competing viewpoints within diverse academic communities.
He will also address steps institutions can take to ensure free speech is protected, respected and understood. An audience question-and-answer session will follow the lecture.
Chemerinsky has written 22 books, including Free Speech on Campus and Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times, both co-authored with Howard Gillman.
In Free Speech on Campus, the authors argue that universities must maintain supportive learning environments for increasingly diverse student populations while protecting the expression of ideas, including those that may be controversial or unpopular.
The book examines the legal and institutional responsibilities of colleges when responding to disputes involving free speech, protests and academic expression.
Chemerinsky was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. In 2024, National Jurist magazine named him the most influential person in American legal education.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
The lecture is sponsored by MSU’s Office of the President. Parking will be available in the university parking garage near the Strand Union Building.