Floyd Abrams, a champion of the First Amendment for 40 years, started out in college supporting the other side of the law. “I was impressed then with the clarity of English law which sought to protect the rights of criminal defendants by banning a great deal of public speech about trials that we consider central to First Amendment protection,” Mr. Abrams said. Needless to say, he changed his mind.
Since joining Cahill Gordon & Reindel in 1963, Mr. Abrams has been involved in some of the most high-profile and hard fought litigations that have had a profound impact on the way courts interpret the First Amendment. He has counted among his clients The New York Times in its battle to publish the Pentagon Papers; Nina Totenberg and National Public Radio during the U.S. Senate’s investigation of leaks arising out of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearing; journalist Judith Miller, who went to jail for refusing to reveal her sources in a litigation involving CIA leaks; the Brooklyn Museum of Art in its legal battles with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani over a controversial art exhibit; and Citizens United in its fight for the right of corporations and unions to speak publicly about politics and elections.
