Lena Shapiro

Lena Shapiro

Lena Shapiro is the inaugural director of the First Amendment Clinic, supported by the Stanton Foundation, at the University of Illinois College of Law, focusing on defending and advancing freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. Prior to joining the Illinois faculty, Lena spent seven years as a litigator representing clients in a variety of commercial, intellectual property, and information privacy disputes. She has first- and second-chaired trials in federal and state courts, including successfully defending a client in a multi-million dollar jury trial, and argued before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Columns by Lena Shapiro

Permalink to Was the Federal District Court Correct in Dismissing Disney’s Speech-Retaliation Case Against Florida Officials?

Was the Federal District Court Correct in Dismissing Disney’s Speech-Retaliation Case Against Florida Officials?

28 Feb 2024

Vikram David Amar, Jason Mazzone and Lena Shapiro

UC Davis Law professor Vikram David Amar, Illinois Law professor Jason Mazzone, and Illinois Law’s First Amendment Clinic director Lena Shapiro examine the legal intricacies and constitutional debates surrounding a federal district court’s dismissal of the Disney Corporation’s lawsuit against Florida officials, in which Disney alleges retaliatory action for Disney’s criticism of Florida laws by changing the governance of the land regulating Disney World. The authors highlight the complexity of First Amendment issues involved, the precedent set by prior cases, and the broader implications for speech regulation and governmental retaliation, suggesting areas for deeper academic exploration.