The School of Law will host free speech expert Mary Beth Tinker and student speech attorney Mike Hiestand as part of a nationwide tour Nov. 4 at 12:30 p.m. in Room A (120) of Hirsch Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Tinker was a lead plaintiff in the landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, where the court upheld students’ First Amendment right to express themselves in a nondisruptive way within their public schools.
During her talk, Tinker will discuss the case and the current state of free speech and civics awareness among America’s young people. The goal of the “Tinker Tour” is to bring real-life civics lessons to schools and communities through Tinker’s story.
Also speaking at the event is Hiestand, who has written and lectured extensively on legal issues affecting the student media and has worked for more than 20 years as an attorney for the Student Press Law Center.
The presenting sponsor of the tour is the Student Press Law Center, a nonprofit organization that supports youth voices. More information about the “Tinker Tour” is available at www.tinkertourusa.org.