Inside Experts: The role of in-house lawyers in protecting corporations
The Occupy Wall Street movements Human Worth Amendment states, A corporate entity is not a person and, therefore, is not entitled to the rights and protections set forth in the Constitution of the United States of America for human-beings.
November 18, 2011 at 05:00 AM
6 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.com
The Occupy Wall Street movement's Human Worth Amendment states, “A corporate entity is not a person and, therefore, is not entitled to the rights and protections set forth in the Constitution of the United States of America for human-beings.”
The immediate impetus behind the statement is the Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission allowing corporations to fund political speech. But there may be more than just campaign law under challenge. Putting aside politics, and looking at the Occupy movement's general sentiment against corporations on a professional level, it seems to me that the protesters are posting the very fundamental question of whether corporations should be allowed to continue as self-directing business organizations, managing their own money and affairs, sanctioned and protected by laws.
What part do in-house lawyers play in this conflict, either as part of the problem that is being railed against, or as part of a solution?
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