David Hudson serves as an attorney for the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Center, which is funded by the Freedom Forum, seeks to foster a greater public understanding and appreciation for First Amendment rights and values. Hudson writes for the Freedom Forum's online publication, The Freedom Forum Online, and other leading publications devoted to First Amendment issues. He contributes regularly to the American Bar Association's Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases, the Commercial Speech Digest and the ABA Journal.

People are often charged with disorderly conduct or breach of the peace based on harsh or profane language. Generally, the First Amendment prohibits punishment of an individual based on speech. However, the courts have recognized a narrow exception of unprotected "fighting words." This course introduces participants to the leading U.S. Supreme Court cases on fighting words and disorderly conduct. It also tests participant's knowledge with a series of fact patterns from appellate case law.