Baby Hold On ... to Your First Amendment Rights

by Michelle Galbraith, J.D.; HR Adviser

We all know our general First Amendment rights: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion and the right to petition.

But there’s also a unique area of the law that protects an individual’s right to freedom of speech and expression against frivolous lawsuits that seek to stifle those rights. A person who’s a target of these types of improper lawsuits — called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) — can file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and, if successful, may be able to collect attorneys’ fees.