New York Times v. Sullivan

Many legal historians see the landmark 1964 case New York Times v. Sullivan—in which the Supreme Court ruled for the New York Times in its claim that criticism of the government and public officials is constitutionally protected—as the foundation of modern free press law. Before then, legal interpretations of the First Amendment had essentially left libel law up to state legislatures and courts. This book analyzes key events and people—the political ad at the center of the controversy, the various legal strategies, related legal actions and court decisions of the period, the history of libel law, and the legal landscape after Sullivan—all in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. Hall (former president, SUNY at Albany) and Urofsky (history, emeritus, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.) have written extensively on law and public policy. Other books on this case include Anthony Lewis's well-known Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment.