Samantha Barbas, Aliber Family Chair in Law and professor in the College of Law, shares about the impact of history and free speech on her work.

Tell us about your hometown; how did it shape you?

I grew up in Sacramento, California’s capital city, in the Northern part of the state. Sacramento is a diverse city with a strong sense of history. In the 1840s, Sacramento was at the center of California’s gold rush. Growing up in the presence of so many historic buildings and landmarks shaped my interest in American history.

Tell us about your hobbies/outside interests.

I enjoy walking, road trips, and travel around the United States to see historic places.

What is your favorite hang out place?

I’ve become a huge fan of Prairie Lights Bookstore, which is a writers’ paradise.

Can you share a recent book/movie/performance that you found compelling and why?

I recently reread a book that I found extremely compelling, called Stories of Scottsboro. In the book, which was published in 1994, the author recounts the famous Scottsboro trials of the 1930s, a pivotal event in legal history and civil rights history. Rather than telling the story as a single, linear narrative, the author explores the saga from the vantage of multiple participants in the story. In clear and richly detailed prose, he reminds us of the conflicted and complicated nature of the past, the impact of the law on the lives of everyday citizens, and the power of ordinary people to shape the law. This storytelling approach to legal history has inspired my own work.

What shaped your interest in your discipline?

My father worked in the film industry in the 1960s. I grew up hearing stories about actors, filmmakers, and journalists. In college and graduate school, I gravitated toward the study of the history of film, journalism, and celebrity culture. Later, I became interested in the relationship between law, mass media, and freedom of speech.

Tell us about a project or achievement of which you are particularly proud.

I recently wrote a book on the history of New York Times v. Sullivan, a landmark First Amendment case decided by the Supreme Court in 1964. The book was based on extensive archival research. The Sullivan case established free speech protections in libel law and furthered the advance of the civil rights movement. The book was widely discussed in the media and received positive reviews in outlets like The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books. I was thrilled that my research had an impact on public debate.

In what ways have you engaged with professional activities outside the institution (local, regional, national)?

I frequently speak at national conferences on free speech and media law. I have also given public lectures on freedom of speech and libel law, including the Constitution Day Lecture at the Law Library of Congress and a presentation at the New York Historical Society.

How do you see your work impacting your field?

The law of free speech, and the meaning of freedom of speech, are highly contested. The Supreme Court decision in New York Times v. Sullivan is under attack. I hope that my scholarship on the history of freedom of speech and defamation law will not only shape scholarship in this field but also have an effect on the way these issues are resolved in the public sphere.

What changes are on the horizon for your work or your discipline?

The law of free speech and freedom of the press has changed rapidly, even in the past year. Established laws and norms of free speech are being contested like never before. Scholars of freedom of speech and media law have the opportunity to shape law and public debate at a pivotal moment in history.

Where do you see your career taking you?

I’d like to continue to write and lecture on the history of freedom of speech and press, and how freedom of speech has evolved over time. I hope that my work can continue to reach both popular and scholarly audiences. I’m currently writing a sequel to my book on New York Times v. Sullivan, on another important Supreme Court decision that shaped libel law and freedom of the press. I’d also like to publish a comprehensive history of free speech in America that is accessible to both academic and general audiences.

What words of wisdom would you like to share, what quotation or person inspires you, what does the next chapter look like?

I’m honored to be working in a field that has so much relevance to the present and future of American society. I have always believed that scholars have an obligation to bring their knowledge and experience to bear on public issues. It is an exciting time to be a scholar of free speech.