The Curious Lawyer: Bill of Rights - The Fifth Amendment

Everyone knows that the First Amendment safeguards freedom of speech from government intervention, but does that protection extend to speech that is hateful, offensive or incites violence? Peter Afrasiabi reviews the history of free speech protections in the United States — from famous cases involving flag burning, Nazi marches and anti-war protests — and carries it through to present day controversies including cyberstalkers who send messages threating violence and former President Donald Trump who made statements targeting protesters at a campaign rally.

This program looks at an actual case of a weaponized legal system, what the Supreme Court called a “crusade,” by exploring the Cold War trials of Harry Bridges. Experienced intellectual property lawyer Peter Afrasiabi, who authored the definitive book on the Harry Bridges trials from National Archive and FBI FOIA records, takes one of the four trials Bridges was subjected to, and looks at how the legal system was contorted to produce what was persecution by prosecution, identifying along the way some of the issues that led the Supreme Court to so conclude.

Much legal talk these days is about the weaponization of the legal system to push political persecutions. This program looks at an actual case of a weaponized legal system, what the Supreme Court called a “crusade,” by exploring the Cold War trials of Harry Bridges. In part two of this program, experienced intellectual property lawyer Peter Afrasiabi, who authored the definitive book on the Harry Bridges trials from National Archive and FBI FOIA records, finishes the story by discussing the perjury trial of Bridges that stands as yet another example of how the legal system was contorted to produce what was persecution by prosecution.

Arguing appeals is its own art, and arguing immigration appeals adds a level of complexity. Peter Afrasiabi has litigated well over 100 immigration appeals, and uses that experience and his advocacy teaching experience, to give you a nuts-and-bolts program here on how to prepare to argue your immigration appeal. With real world examples and a specific multi-step process to employ, this program will arm you to be present the best appellate argument possible in the context of the highly politicized immigration arena.