Eugene Volokh is the Thomas M. Siebel Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and the Gary T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus and Distinguished Research Professor at UCLA School of Law. Naturally, his posts here (like the opinions of the other bloggers) are his own, and not endorsed by any institution.
Eugene Volokh
Latest from Eugene Volokh
Submit Your Articles to the Journal of Free Speech Law, Before You Circulate Them to the Law Reviews
We'll give you an answer within 14 days, and we can publish them within several weeks, if you'd like.
Law Banning Distressing Speech "About" a Person Must Be Limited to Speech Within First Amendment Exceptions
So holds the D.C. Court of Appeals, D.C.'s equivalent of a state supreme court.
Journal of Free Speech Law: "Beyond the Watchdog: Using Law to Build Trust in the Press," by Prof. Erin Carroll
Just published as part of the symposium on Media and Society After Technological Disruption, edited by Profs. Justin "Gus" Hurwitz & Kyle Langvardt.
Privacy Lawsuit Over Netflix's Our Father Fertility Fraud Documentary Can Go Forward
"Dr. Cline inseminated many of his female patients with his own semen, ultimately, fathering approximately [94] children"; Netflix allegedly promised the Secret Children anonymity when making its film, but allegedly broke its promise.
Mississippi Court Rejects Tort Claim Over Wife's Leaving Husband "Without Any Notice or Warning"
The court also concludes that there is no separate "verbal assault" tort in Mississippi, and that falsely telling spouse "I love you" generally isn't actionable fraud.
Lawyer Explains How He Used ChatGPT to Produce Filing "Replete with Citations to Non-Existent Cases"
"Can you show me the courts opinion in Varghese v China Southern Airlines"? "Certainly! ... I hope that helps!"
First (?) Libel-by-AI (ChatGPT) Lawsuit Filed
"Every statement of fact in the summary [provided by ChatGPT] pertaining to [plaintiff] Walters is false."
George Santos's Bail Guarantors Must Be Disclosed -- but the Order so Holding Is Sealed Pending Appeal
(The appeal is an appeal to the District Court, so it will likely be resolved fairly quickly.) [UPDATE 6/20/23: The District Court affirmed the disclosure order; the guarantors' names will be released 6/22, at least unless they "seek to withdraw from" being guarantors.]
Journal of Free Speech Law: "The New Gatekeepers?: Social Media and the 'Search for Truth,'" by Prof. Ashutosh Bhagwat
Just published as part of the symposium on Media and Society After Technological Disruption, edited by Profs. Justin "Gus" Hurwitz & Kyle Langvardt.
S. Ct. Will Decide "TRUMP TOO SMALL" Trademark / First Amendment Case
The question: Does the First Amendment allow content-based but viewpoint-neutral restrictions on which trademarks may be registered—here, a restriction on marks that "[c]onsist[] of or comprise[] a name ... identifying a particular living individual except by his written consent"?
Journal of Free Speech Law: "Sober and Self-Guided Newsgathering," by Prof. Jane Bambauer
Just published as part of the symposium on Media and Society After Technological Disruption, edited by Profs. Justin "Gus" Hurwitz & Kyle Langvardt.
Court Strikes Down Tennessee Ban on Pornographic Performances by "Male or Female Impersonators" Where Minors Can See Them
Properly crafted restrictions on displays of pornographic material where minors can see it are constitutional; but the court rules, among other things, that this restriction (1) discriminatorily targets drag shows, (2) lacks an exemption for minors escorted by parents, (3) applies even to venues that try to card attendees but are duped by a fake ID.
Journal of Free Speech Law: "Getting to Trustworthiness (But Not Necessarily to Trust)," by Prof. Helen Norton
Just published as part of the symposium on Media and Society After Technological Disruption, edited by Profs. Justin "Gus" Hurwitz & Kyle Langvardt.
Journal of Free Speech Law Publishing Symposium on "Media and Society After Technological Disruption"
The symposium was edited by Prof. Justin "Gus Hurwitz" & Prof. Kyle Langvardt, and will be published later this year as a book by Cambridge University Press.
Woman Suing Cuba Gooding, Jr. Over Alleged Rape Can't Proceed as "Jane Doe" at Trial
The court had allowed her to litigate pseudonymously at earlier stages in the process, but just held that this doesn’t extend to trial.
If Lawyer Forces Client to Have Sex, When Can Law Firm Be Liable for Negligent Supervision?
"An attorney-client relationship between two adults does not present the same inherent danger or foreseeability" as "a relationship between an adult and a child in a religious organization."
Unsuccessful Plaintiff Can't Get Case Retroactively Sealed, Despite Alleged Harm to Employment Prospects
The case had involved a doctor who had sued over his license being restricted based on allegations of mental incompetency.
Georgia S. Ct.: Right to Pursue Lawful Occupation Invalidates License Requirement for Lactation Consultants
The court so holds applying the Georgia Constitution's Due Process Clause, which the court had long interpreted as securing a right to pursue a lawful occupation.
Federal Judge Requires All Lawyers to File Certificates Related to Use of Generative AI
The certificates must "attest[] either that no portion of the filing was drafted by generative artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT, Harvey.AI, or Google Bard) or that any language drafted by generative artificial intelligence was checked for accuracy, using print reporters or traditional legal databases, by a human being."
