Poliak Center for the Study of First Amendment Issues

The Poliak Center for the Study of First Amendment Issues was established in 1983 through the generosity of Saul Poliak (J'26) and Janice Poliak. The Center's programs and activities have been instrumental in making the First Amendment a core subject in the school's curriculum, as well as in educating and informing journalists, media executives, government officials and the general public on issues related to the freedom of the press.

The Poliak Center provides sponsorship for two named professorships:

(1) The William J. Brennan Jr. Visiting Professor of First Amendment Issues, a chair named after the late Supreme Court justice and now held by Floyd Abrams, one of the nation's foremost First Amendment attorneys.

(2) The James Madison Visiting Professor on First Amendment Issues, currently held by Anthony Lewis of The New York Times. Professors Abrams and Lewis are part of a team teaching Journalism, the Law and Society, a required course for M.S. degree candidates.

Programs organized by the Poliak Center include The First Amendment Breakfast Series and an annual Poliak Lecture which pertains to First Amendment issues.

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