The Lincoln-Douglas Society is pleased to announce its final debate of the fall, entitled "Social Media Companies Should Be Liable for the Content on Their Platforms: Yes or No.” Discourse on social media has become increasingly caustic. Misinformation abounds— much of it carrying real-world consequences. And with the rise of artificial intelligence, it has become increasingly difficult to trust our own eyes. All this leads to the question—should social media companies be held liable for the content they host? To what extent does (and should) federal law require social media companies to protect their users—from other users’ content and from their own algorithms? On October 27, come hear four professionals debate this subject—two arguing that social media companies should be held liable, and two arguing in opposition. Supporting the proposition will be Professor Bryant Walker Smith of the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, joined by Will Kulp, a third-year law student and technology editor of the South Carolina Law Review. Spearheading the opposition will be Professor Enrique Armijo of Elon University School of Law, joined by Kaitlyn Leeper, a joint J.D. and IMBA student. All are welcome to attend. The debate will run from 7:00 PM until 8:15 PM in the Karen J. Williams Courtroom at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law (room 103), with a reception to follow. We appreciate our sponsors, TechInLaw and the Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough Center on Professionalism, for partnering with us for this event and reception.
Professor Bryant Walker Smith is an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina, serving both the School of Law and the College of Engineering and Computing. He is also an Affiliate Scholar at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School. Before joining the University of South Carolina, Professor Smith led the Legal Aspects of Automated Driving program at Stanford University, served as a Fellow at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Evan J. Wallach of the U.S. Court of International Trade. Professor Smith’s research and teaching focuses on the law and policy of emerging transportation technologies. He advises cities, states, national governments, and the United Nations on issues related to automated, connected, and electric mobility. He coauthored the globally influential Levels of Driving Automation, drafted a model law for automated driving, and taught the first legal course dedicated to automated driving. He earned an LL.M. in International Legal Studies and a J.D. (cum laude) from New York University School of Law and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to his legal career, Professor Smith worked as a transportation engineer.
William (Will) Kulp is a third-year law student at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. Will graduated from the College of Charleston in 2017 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. During his undergraduate studies, he received an NIH grant for genetics research, engaged in marine biology field research, and worked as an EMT. Prior to law school, Will lived in New York City and Charleston — working as a nightclub manager, a bartender, and a fitness trainer. At the University of South Carolina, Will serves as the Technology Editor of the South Carolina Law Review. Following graduation, he will serve as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Robert E. Hood of South Carolina’s Fifth Judicial Circuit.
Professor Enrique Armijo is Professor of Law at Elon University School of Law and a Faculty Affiliate with both the Yale Law School Information Society Project and the UNC-Chapel Hill Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life. Before entering academia, he practiced law in Washington, D.C., served as a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, and clerked for the Honorable Karen L. Henderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Professor Armijo’s teaching and scholarship focuses on the First Amendment, constitutional law, torts, administrative law, media and internet law, and international freedom of expression. His scholarship has been cited by the FCC, the FEC, other agencies, and in testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. He has provided advice on media and internet law reform to governments, stakeholders and NGOs located around the world. He earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the North Carolina Law Review.
Kaitlyn Leeper is a second-year student in the Joint JD and IMBA program at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law and Darla Moore School of Business. Originally from Carmel, Indiana, Kaitlyn earned her undergraduate degree from Drake University, where she majored in International Business and minored in Business Law and Management, while competing as a Division I athlete on the university’s crew team. At the University of South Carolina, Kaitlyn serves as Co-President of the International Law Society and as the Arbitrator of Writing for the Vis Moot Team. She has continued her summer research with Professor David Linnan, researching the intersection of procedural justice and psychology
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