March 23, 2015
From Net Neutrality to Hobby Lobby: University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law to Host March 27 Symposium on the Impact of the First Amendment on American Business
Travis LeBlanc, chief of the Bureau of Enforcement at the Federal Communications Commission, will deliver keynote address
Issues ranging from the Federal Communications Commission’s new net neutrality ruling to debates over religious freedom interests and employee mandates to provide contraception coverage will be addressed during “The Impact of the First Amendment on American Business” — a day-long symposium presented by the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law’s Journal of Business & Technology Law.
Twenty experts from academia, technology, government, and First Amendment advocacy groups will discuss some of the most important issues affecting businesses and consumers.
Travis LeBlanc, JD, LLM, chief of the Bureau of Enforcement at the Federal Communications Commission will deliver the keynote address at 9:30 am. LeBlanc will offer commentary on “how we can protect the openness of the Internet so that First Amendment rights can flourish in the public square of the 21st century.”
“The First Amendment used to have little to do with business, since it was usually applied to political or artistic speech,” says Maryland Carey Law Dean Donald B. Tobin, JD. “But as this symposium shows, all that has changed, thanks to a series of court decisions and technology advances. Maryland Carey Law students and faculty have brought together a remarkable group of practitioners and scholars to explore this new and powerful intersection of law, business, and technology.”
The day consists of three panel discussions moderated by Maryland Carey Law faculty: First Amendment and Commercial Speech Relating to Health; the First Amendment and Technology; and Religious Exemptions for Corporations (the Supreme Court’s “Hobby Lobby” decision).
Among the panelists will be Glenn Kaleta, director of Xbox Live policy and enforcement at Microsoft. Kaleta and his team are responsible for making XboxLIVE a safer and more enjoyable place to be for millions of users.
Tamara Piety, professor at the University of Tulsa School of Law and author of Brandishing the First Amendment: Commercial Expression in America will present the second keynote address. Piety argues that commercial interests should not have the same free speech rights as individuals.
Maryland Carey Law Professor Danielle Citron, an internationally renowned expert in privacy and cyber civil rights and the author of Hate Crimes in Cyberspace will present closing remarks.
Media is welcome with advance notice.