Student Free Speech Rights in the Age of Facebook, Twitter, and Other Social Media

2011 Annual Meeting Program – Video Webcast Archive

2.0 credits in areas of professional practice 

Sponsored by the Committee on Media Law and the Committee on Law and Youth and Citizenship

This program addresses the First Amendment rights of students in the digital age.  Panelists address current and cutting-edge issues in regard to regulating student speech on the Internet and what type of online speech may give rise to criminal charges. Topics include an overview of court decisions involving the off-campus use of the Internet and social media by students, the legal implications of cyberbullying, and the issues arising from so-called “sexting” behavior.  The interactive session will cover matters of interest to lawyers whose practices involve free speech issues, school counsel/administrators/educators, the law enforcement community and, more broadly, the parent of any student who communicates with peers online.

Program Topics

• Extent of First Amendment Protection of Speech in Cyberspace by Public School Students

• How Far Can Public Schools Regulate Student Speech on the Internet?

• Current Legal Standards Governing Regulation of Speech by Public School Students and Applicability to the Internet

• What Does “Cyberbullying” Encompass?

• Can Criminal Penalties Be Imposed for “Sexting?”

• Should Public School Officials Remit these Cases to Law Enforcement Authorities?

Program Faculty 

Corrine A. Irish, Esq., Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP, Program Chair

Michael J. Grygiel, Esq., Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Program Moderator

Frank D. Lamonte, Esq., Executive Director, Student Press Law Center

Erik Eckholm, National Correspondent, New York Times

David Szuchman, Esq., Bureau Chief, Cybercrimes/Identity Theft Bureau, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

Jay Worona, Esq., General Counsel, NYS School Boards Association

Chris Armstrong, Student Assembly President, University of Michigan

This program was recorded on January 25, 2011 at the New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting.

This archived webcast is a video online program that you will view and listen to on your computer screen. The program code for each topic that you write on the included MCLE Form appears on the screen.