Welcome to the 2011 National Law-Related Education Conference! It is the only conference in the United States that assembles teachers, professors, lawyers, judges, civic leaders, cultural institution scholars, civic education specialists, students, and anyone else who cares about law-related education. In 2011, the conference will focus on the theme, "Civility and Free Expression in a Constitutional Democracy." Participants will share ideas with one another through plenary sessions, discussion groups, breakout sessions, and working groups, all of which will highlight best practices for teaching about the theme, including several subtopics.

Ongoing tensions between common notions of civility and American ideals of free expression pose new challenges to 21st century citizens. With daily news updates detailing the throwing of shoes at one U.S. President and the shouting of "You lie!" at another, death threats to political cartoonists, allegations of hate speech at rallies, and the fatal consequences of cyberbullying, one may wonder "what happened to civility?" When does civility constructively regulate and constrain free expression? When might civility unduly restrict free expression necessary for the health of a constitutional democracy? What are the implications for the rule of law? Can civility be enforced, or even legislated?

This working conference will explore the importance of balancing civility and freedom of expression within the ideals of a constitutional democracy, with participants helping to develop resources for continued national dialogue.

This is an opportunity to share experiences, best practices, teaching strategies, and curriculum with your colleagues; and join in a nationwide conversation about issues facing everyone today.

Conference Schedule--Download a copy of the conference agenda

This program is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and then made possible with the help of other program partners: