David Hudson

David L. Hudson Jr. is a First Amendment expert and law professor who serves as a Fellow for the First Amendment of the Freedom Forum, where he contributes research and commentary, provides analysis and information to news media. He is a Visiting Associate Professor of Legal Practice, teaches Legal Information and Communication, at Belmont University’s College of Law. For much of his career, he has worked on First Amendment issues, and also serves as a Justice Robert H. Jackson Legal Fellow for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. For 17 years, he was an attorney and scholar at the First Amendment Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Hudson has taught classes at Vanderbilt Law School and the Nashville School of Law. In June 2018, the Nashville School of Law awarded him its Distinguished Faculty Award. He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. Hudson also is a licensed boxing judge and has judged a dozen world title bouts. He is an author, co-author or co-editor of more than 40 books, including “Let The Students Speak: A History of the Fight for Free Expression in American Schools” (Beacon Press, 2011), “The Encyclopedia of the First Amendment” (CQ Press, 2008) (one of three co-editors), “The Rehnquist Court: Understanding Its Impact and Legacy” (Praeger, 2006), and “The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book” (Visible Ink Press, 2008). He has written several books devoted to student-speech issues and others areas of student rights. He writes regularly for the ABA Journal and the American Bar Association’s Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases. He also served as a senior law clerk at the Tennessee Supreme Court.