ADF supports attorneys’ right to freely speak without government punishment

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Jake Warner regarding a friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed Thursday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Greenberg v. Lehocky in support of the constitutionally protected freedom of attorneys to say what they believe about matters of public concern without fear of government punishment:

“When attorneys enter the legal profession, they do not forfeit their right to free speech—especially against rules that regulate even their social interactions based on viewpoint. While the government may regulate what attorneys say in the courtroom, express in briefs, and disclose about clients, it can’t silence their voices on matters of public concern. Yet, as we explain in our brief, Pennsylvania is seeking to do just that by subjectively restricting attorneys from expressing certain messages and viewpoints the state may disagree with. The First Amendment forbids this massive overreach, and we urge the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit to protect the right of attorneys to freely speak without government punishment.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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