Stephen Rohde is a writer, lecturer, and political activist. For almost 50 years, he practiced civil rights, civil liberties, and intellectual property law. He is a past chair of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and past National Chair of Bend the Arc, a Jewish Partnership for Justice. He is a founder and current chair of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, member of the Board of Directors of Death Penalty Focus, and a member of the Black Jewish Justice Alliance. Rohde is the author of American Words of Freedom and Freedom of Assembly (part of the American Rights series), and numerous articles and book reviews on civil liberties and constitutional history for Los Angeles Review of Books, American Prospect, Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine, Los Angeles Lawyer, Truth Out, LA Progressive, Variety, and other publications. He is also co-author of Foundations of Freedom, published by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Rohde received Bend the Arc’s “Pursuit of Justice” Award, and his work has been recognized by the ACLU and American Bar Association. Rohde received his BA degree in political science from Northwestern University and his JD degree from Columbia Law School.
Stephen Rohde
Articles
Press Versus Privacy: Does the Right to Be Left Alone Override the Public’s Right to Know?
On "Newsworthy: The Supreme Court Battle Over Privacy and Press Freedom."
More Speech or Enforced Silence? Stephen Rohde Reviews Two Recent Books on the Subject of Free Speech on Campus
How to protect free speech on campus.
A President Out of Control
Stephen Rohde on Katy Tur's "Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History."
The United States — A Model for the Nazis
Stephen Rohde looks at how the American race laws inspired the Nazis.
Banality of Evil Redux
Imagine Adolf Eichmann was never prosecuted for his war crimes. Instead, he wrote a book.
Big Brother Is Watching You: Is America Becoming Orwell’s Nightmare?
Is America at risk of becoming Orwell's nightmare?
What Do You Have to Lose? Mark Danner on the Forever War
Mark Danner delivers eloquent and brutally direct assessments of the war policies of both Bush and Obama.
Free Speech in the Post-Gutenberg World
Stephen Rohde on Timothy Garton Ash's "Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World."
The Machinery of Death
Stephen Rohde discusses the possible elimination of the death penalty.
First and Last, the First Amendment
Stephen Rohde’s reflection on his career as an LA civil rights lawyer, particularly regarding the First Amendment.
A Stronger Constitution: Carol Berkin’s “The Bill of Rights”
Stephen Rohde reviews a book on of one of our nation’s most important political and historical documents: The Bill of Rights.
The Importance of Dissent
The very first dissent was written by Justice Thomas Johnson in the long forgotten case of "Georgia v. Brailsford" (1793).
A Lawyer for Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Beyond his impressive legal career, Charles Rembar wrote three fascinating books, which have just been released in ebook format.
From Discontented Barons to Predator Drones
It's the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.
Spying on Students
Patriotic Betrayal is a cautionary tale about how our government compromises well-meaning people in the name of fighting “our enemies.”
Is the First Amendment Poetic?
While paying lip service to the “poetry” of the First Amendment, Burt Neuborne turns his book into an argument in favor of less First Amendment protection.
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