Tiffany Villager

Tiffany Villager is director/First Amendment studies at the First Amendment Center, which she joined in 1993. She also served as the center’s research manager and research coordinator, and developed the center’s library. In addition to coordinating research projects, she oversees the annual National First Amendment Moot Court Competition.

Before joining the First Amendment Center, Villager spent five years at the Vanderbilt Law Library. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mississippi and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Nashville School of Law. She is licensed in Tennessee and a member of the American Bar Association, the First Amendment Lawyers Association and the Nashville Bar Association.

Posts by Tiffany Villager:

First Amendment Program | Tiffany Villager | April 18, 2012

Panels to explore latest developments in copyright

April 26 discussion at First Amendment Center will include legislative activity, review of 2011 court cases, updates on procedures.

First Amendment Program, News release | Tiffany Villager | February 10, 2012

This year’s hypothetical case: religious symbols on public property

Thirty-eight law schools from around the nation are vying in 22nd annual competition Feb. 16-17 in Nashville.

First Amendment Program | Tiffany Villager | January 18, 2012

Moot Court competitors: Use these e-mail addresses

E-mail service interruption necessitates alternate way to send competition briefs by today’s deadline for posting tomorrow.

Speech Commentary, Supreme Court Case | Tiffany Villager | October 12, 2011

What’s at stake for free speech in copyright case

Removal of many foreign works from the public domain — at issue before the Supreme Court in Golan v. Holder — burdens freedom of expression.

Speech Commentary | Tiffany Villager | July 8, 2011

Piggyback publicity irks 2 NBA players

Claims of Chris Bosh, Gilbert Arenas that their exes are trying to profit off their celebrity on VH-1′s ‘Basketball Wives’ probably won’t hold up in court.

Speech Commentary | Tiffany Villager | June 28, 2011

A parent’s take on the high court’s video-game ruling

As a mom and First Amendment advocate, I believe the justices rightly decided that a legislative body can’t dictate which material may or may not enter my household.

Featured Post, Petition Commentary | Tiffany Villager | March 5, 2011

Remembering an oft-forgotten freedom

Although it’s the freedom few people can name, petition has deep historical roots.

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About The First Amendment Center

We support the First Amendment and build understanding of its core freedoms through education, information and entertainment.

The center serves as a forum for the study and exploration of free-expression issues, including freedom of speech, of the press and of religion, and the rights to assemble and to petition the government.

Founded by John Seigenthaler, the First Amendment Center is an operating program of the Freedom Forum and is associated with the Newseum and the Diversity Institute. The center has offices in the John Seigenthaler Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

The center’s programs, including the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum, provide education and information to the public and groups including First Amendment scholars and experts, educators, government policy makers, legal experts and students. The center is nonpartisan and does not lobby, litigate or provide legal advice. See First Amendment Center Fact Sheet and FAQs. See internships info.

The center’s website, www.firstamendmentcenter.org, is one of the most authoritative sources of news, information and commentary in the nation on First Amendment issues. It features daily updates on news about First Amendment-related developments, as well as detailed reports about U.S. Supreme Court cases involving the First Amendment, and commentary, analysis and special reports on free expression, press freedom and religious-liberty issues. Support the work of the First Amendment Center.

1 For All

1 for All is a national nonpartisan program designed to build understanding and support for First Amendment freedoms. 1 for All provides teaching materials to the nation’s schools, supports educational events on America’s campuses and reminds the public that the First Amendment serves everyone, regardless of faith, race, gender or political leanings. It is truly one amendment for all. Visit 1 for All at http://1forall.us/

Help tomorrow’s citizens find their voice: Teach the First Amendment

The most basic liberties guaranteed to Americans – embodied in the 45 words of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – assure Americans a government that is responsible to its citizens and responsive to their wishes.

These 45 words are as alive and important today as they were more than 200 years ago. These liberties are neither liberal nor conservative, Democratic nor Republican – they are the basis for our representative democratic form of government.

We know from studies beginning in 1997 by the nonpartisan First Amendment Center, and from studies commissioned by the Knight Foundation and others, that few adult Americans or high school students can name the individual five freedoms that make up the First Amendment.

The lesson plans – drawn from materials prepared by the Newseum and the First Amendment Center – will draw young people into an exploration of how their freedoms began and how they operate in today’s world. Students will discuss just how far individual rights extend, examining rights in the school environment and public places. The lessons may be used in history and government, civics, language arts and journalism, art and debate classes. They may be used in sections or in their entirety. Many of these lesson plans indicate an overall goal, offer suggestions on how to teach the lesson and list additional resources and enrichment activities.

See more about lesson plans.

First Amendment Moot Court Competition

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – the cornerstone of American democracy – is the focus of the National First Amendment Moot Court Competition. Recognized as one of the nation's finest constitutional-law competitions, this annual event features a current First Amendment controversy.

During the two-day competition in February, each team will participate in a minimum of four rounds, arguing a hypothetical based on a current First Amendment controversy before panels of accomplished jurists, legal scholars and attorneys.

Past participants in the National First Amendment Moot Court Competition have represented law schools nationwide, from Brooklyn Law School to Duke University to Arizona State to Harvard.

The 22nd Annual National First Amendment Moot Court Competition is Feb. 16-17, 2012. See registration information and details about the competition.

FIRST AMENDMENT CENTER ARCHIVES

State of the First Amendment survey reports

The State of the First Amendment surveys, commissioned since 1997 by the First Amendment Center and Newseum, are a regular check on how Americans view their first freedoms of speech, press, assembly, religion and petition.

The periodic surveys examine public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion and the rights of assembly and petition; and sample public opinion on contemporary issues involving those freedoms. See the reports.