Media Advisory: Van Alstyne and Meese Available to Comment on Citizens United
Van Alstyne is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most preeminent constitutional law scholars. His work has been cited by numerous courts, including the Supreme Court. In January 2000, the Journal of Legal Studies named Van Alstyne in the top forty most frequently cited legal scholars in the U.S. since 1950. On November 10, 2009, Van Alstyne gave a lecture about Citizens United at William & Mary Law School.
A member of Order of the Coif and former Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Alan Meese is the author of more than twenty-five scholarly articles and essays appearing in the nation’s premier law reviews. Meese has recently blogged about Citizens United and in 1993, he presciently wrote an article about corporate political speech. "The Court properly recognized that Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce was an unjustified departure from traditional free speech principles and, for that matter, the fundamental tenets of a free society," Meese says. "It's disappointing, however, that four justices disagreed. The exercise of a constitutional right often consumes scarce resources and thus costs money. The Court confirmed the common sense notion that banning expenditures on speech is no different from banning speech itself."
At the Institute of Bill of Rights Law’s October 2009 Supreme Court Preview, former solicitor general Gregory Garre provided succinct background on Citizens United.
The student Election Law Society at William & Mary Law School publishes the blog State of Elections, which will provide commentary about the case, including a guest blog entry from Professor Van Alstyne. The Election Law Program, a joint project of the National Center for State Courts and William & Mary Law School, offers information for judges and journalists on election law matters.
Both professors are available for interviews and commentary on all aspects of the Citizens United opinion. Professor Van Alstyne, (757) 221-1035, wwvana@wm.edu; Professor Meese, (757) 221-1609, ajmees@wm.edu.