Do First and Second Amendment rights complement each other, or do they cause a constitutional conflict that poses a threat to dialogue and democracy? Professor Gregory P. Magarian will discuss the relationship between these topics during “Free Speech & Firearms: Constitutional Rights in Conflict?” on April 20 at 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Zoom and Facebook Live.

“We’ve frequently seen guns incorporated into political protest in recent years—whether gun laws are the subject of the protest or not,” said Patrick File, Reynolds School of Journalism assistant professor of media law. “There’s nobody better than Professor Magarian to help us think about these two constitutional rights together and whether guns might augment freedom of speech or undermine it.”

Magarian is a professor of law at the Washington University of School of Law in St. Louis. He received his B.A. from Yale and his J.D. and master’s degree from the University of Michigan.

The forum will be moderated by the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Liberal Arts Associate Professor Amy Pason with an introduction by File. The event is free to the public and will include an audience Q&A. Attendees can register through Eventbrite to receive a Zoom link or watch the event on Facebook Live.

The First Amendment Forum is an annual event that explores emerging issues facing freedom of the press and free speech sponsored by the Reynolds School and Warren and Janet Lerude.