About the Authors
Howard E. Katz
Howard Katz is a professor at Elon University School of Law. He comes to Elon from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, where he was a visiting professor. His background includes teaching positions at a variety of law schools including George Washington, Pittsburgh, Howard, Tulane and George Mason. Katz also has experience with forming public policy, having worked for six years as director of strategic planning and policy for the Cuyahoga County Treasurer’s Office in Cleveland, and as the chief counsel to the Cleveland City Council.
Katz has taught torts, property, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, land use planning, managerial law and ethics, real estate finance and legal analysis in his various positions.
Katz received his law degree with honors from Harvard Law School in 1977 after graduating summa cum laude with a degree in political science from Case Western Reserve University in 1974. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Congress for the New Urbanism.
Kevin Francis O'Neill
Kevin Francis O'Neill is an Associate Professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he teaches first amendment rights, civil procedure, evidence, constitutional law, and contracts. His scholarship focuses on the Speech Clause of the First Amendment, with particular emphasis on public protest and forum access issues.
Prior to entering academia, Mr. O'Neill served four years (1991 to 1995) as the Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. He was responsible for supervising all ACLU litigation in the state of Ohio, trying selected cases himself, lecturing on constitutional issues at conferences and seminars, and explaining law and ACLU policy to the news media. During his tenure at the ACLU, Mr. O'Neill focused special attention on First Amendment issues, reproductive freedom, police misconduct, and government mistreatment of the homeless. He continues to serve as an ACLU volunteer attorney on First Amendment cases. Acting in that capacity, he negotiated a settlement in September 2001 that restored to Ohio Death Row inmates the traditional privilege to deliver a last dying speech.
Prior to joining the ACLU in May 1991, Mr. O'Neill was a trial lawyer at the national law firms of Smith & Schnacke (now Thompson, Hine & Flory) and Arter & Hadden (now Tucker, Ellis & West). During his seven years in commercial litigation, Mr. O'Neill represented clients from a broad range of locales -- from California to Saudi Arabia. His work has spanned all phases of trial and appellate practice, including cases decided by the Ohio and U.S. Supreme Courts.
Professor O'Neill is frequently interviewed on First Amendment issues.
