CBA Record November-December 2025

TEACHING FREE SPEECH IN REAL TIME: Why Lawyers in the Classroom is Essential By Tiffani M. Watson, M.Ed., Managing Director, Edward J. Lewis II CBA Lawyers in the Classroom Program

O nly 40% of American respondents could name three or more rights the First Amendment covers, according to a 2025 survey presented by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Even more dishearten ing, 18% of respondents could not name any. This knowledge gap can make our youth susceptible to misinformation. These results show why the CBA Edward J. Lewis II Law yers in the Classroom civic education program is such an essen tial initiative. LIC’s mission is to engage Chicago-area students through interactive civic education programming, using attor ney volunteers who provide a relatable, real-world understanding of how the Constitution and legal system shape our rights and responsibilities. The program currently reaches 60 schools. The goal for the 2025-2026 school year is to grow to 70 schools. This will extend the program’s reach beyond the normal 5,000 student base with more than 600 attorney volunteers involved. The LIC curriculum is thoroughly researched and culturally relevant, and it is applicable to children living in Chicagoland. Students engage in dialogue and critical thinking, with a focus on the Constitution and the rule of law. “This unparalleled program exposes students to how lawyers consider and attack problems. Students come to see that they possess these same critical thinking skills,” said Benjamin Kurtz, LIC attorney volunteer and partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He further explained, “The law becomes accessible, and students feel empowered to engage civically.” As debates over First Amendment freedoms continue nation wide, LIC’s curriculum offers a suite of lessons that allows stu dents to explore and understand all five of its protections in depth. For example: l Do Students’ Rights End at the Schoolhouse Door?: This lesson explores symbolic speech in schools by focusing on the land mark 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Indepen dent Community School District. l Is All Speech Free?: In this module, students take a deep dive into the First Amendment’s free speech clause while discuss ing how limitations can be applied in different situations. l When Rights Conflict: This lesson reviews the free exercise clause within the First Amendment as it relates to the 1972 Supreme Court Wisconsin v. Yoder case. l Freedom of Assembly: This module helps students become aware of restrictions that can be applied to the First Amend ment’s freedom of assembly clause. l Free Speech v. Hate Speech: In this lesson, students review the

LIC Volunteer Sumaya M. Noush

free speech clause and the differences between free speech and hate speech while exploring events of the 2017 Charlottes ville, Virginia “Unite the Right” rally as a case study. Recently, the LIC attorney team and attorneys from the Muslim Bar Association taught the Free Speech v. Hate Speech lesson at a new partner school, Muslim Community Center (MCC) Academy in Morton Grove, Illinois. Following the lesson, students spoke highly of the experience and what they learned. One student stated, “I learned that even if someone says something hurtful to you, that doesn’t count as hate speech, and it is protected.” Another shared, “I learned that freedom of speech can be used out of context to justify actions.” Attorney volunteer Sumaya M. Noush, partner at McDermott, Will & Schulte, who taught the lesson at MCC, underscored that teaching the First Amendment is paramount to building clearer public understanding of free speech. “The defense of free speech becomes about shaping a society that knows how to use that free dom responsibly. The classroom is one of the few spaces where young people learn how to argue, challenge, and question with out resorting to hostility,” explained Noush. Through LIC, students don’t just memorize the First Amend ment; they put it into practice. They learn to articulate claims, examine evidence, and respect boundaries that safeguard both liberty and community. In a moment when civic confusion can spread faster than facts, LIC lessons help young people become better citizens. Learn more about our LIC program at www.chicagobar.org/LIC.

12 November/December 2025