Earlier this year, Spencer Fane attorneys Andy Lester and Mariana Pitts authored an opinion piece for The Oklahoman.
In their article, Andy and Mariana provide their perspectives as prominent members of the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee, an adjunct of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. They discuss the importance of maintaining civility when exercising free speech rights at colleges and universities, spaces that increasingly serve as grounds for civil discourse.
“We cannot simply espouse respect for free speech. We must model it. We must show both ‘how to engage in a civil debate’ and ‘how to protect and to promote free expression, [while acting] in conformity with the principle of free expression.’”
At the firm, Andy has a civil litigation and appellate practice in both state and federal courts. His fields of emphasis include complex business, civil rights, commercial, constitutional, and state and local government law. Mariana likewise assists clients in a variety of complex litigation matters. She uses the full range of dispute resolution methods to carefully navigate private settlements and, when necessary, employs proactive litigation to obtain the most favorable outcomes for clients and associated parties.
Read the team’s full article here.