Federal judge warns against hiring Yale Law students who shouted down ‘free speech’ event

A federal judge cautioned his colleagues against offering future clerkships to Yale Law School (YLS) students who attempted to silence a guest speaker at a bipartisan free speech event, questioning their own commitments to the First Amendment should they act otherwise.

Judge Laurence Silberman, who represents the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, was responding to an event hosted by the Yale Federalist Society (FedSoc) where attorney Kristen Waggoner of Alliance Defending Freedom was offered an opportunity to speak on high profile First Amendment cases like Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

According to FedSoc members, the purpose was to “illustrate that a liberal atheist and a conservative Christian could find common ground on free speech issues.”

After learning of the protest, where YLS students had to be reminded of the University’s three-strike rule on disruption before they vacated the gathering, Silberman is reported to have sent an email out to other Article III judges with his thoughts. The letter was shared by Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern.

“The latest events at Yale Law School in which students attempted to shout down speakers participating in a panel discussion on free speech prompts me to suggest,” Silberman wrote, “that students who are identified as those willing to disrupt any such panel discussion should be noted.”

The statement went on to say, “All federal judges—and all federal judges are presumably committed to free speech—should carefully consider whether any student so identified should be disqualified for potential clerkships.”

According to Stern’s reporting, the colleagues offered a mixed response to Silberman’s position on the protesters. While Judge John Walker, appointed through the terms of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, responded that he “couldn’t agree more,” Judge Donald Graham had apprehensions about the blanket policy.

Graham, who was a Bush appointee, suggested there ought to be “a finding that a student acted inappropriately at least” before their career opportunities are discarded. He added that such an investigation was beyond his willingness in the hiring process.

An official statement from YLS provided to Fox News Digital expressed that while students exited the event after University policy was read to them, “Members of the Administration are nonetheless in serious conversation with students about [Yale] policies, expectations, and norms.”