Professor Rabban  (Professor of University of Texas at Austin School of Law) will compare the concept of academic freedom as a professional norm in the United States with the treatment of academic freedom as a constitutional right by American courts.  He will discuss the controversial relationship between academic freedom and general rights of free speech in both the professional and judicial interpretations.  After analyzing the case law about academic freedom as a constitutional right of both professors and universities, he will present a theory of academic freedom as a distinctive constitutional right designed to promote the production and dissemination of expert knowledge.

A former fellow of the Program in Law and Public Affairs at Princeton University, Professor Rabban also served as general counsel to the American Association of University Professors.