Lee Parks of Parks Chesin Walbert worked on a case that touches on racism in U.S. history—which, clearly, we continue to wrestle with today—and a professor’s ability to discuss it in detail. An Emory Law School professor lost his job after he uttered the uncensored version of the N-word—once in class discussing a race discrimination case—and a second time recalling how he was called a “N-word lover” as a teenager because he was friends with African Americans. Many Emory Law students and alumni were hurt by any use of the term and called for his termination. Others, such as Harvard Law’s Randall Kennedy, argued punishing the professor encroached on academic freedom.

Like lawyers who have represented other controversial clients, Parks took the case, marshaled support for his client from judges, lawyers, students and professors and put forth the academic freedom argument before a faculty hearing committee. The panel recommended the professor be reinstated, and he was.

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