What is a public forum?
A public forum is a place that has, by tradition or practice, been held out for general use by the public for speech-related purposes. To determine which of the standards of student expression applies in a given case, many courts first conduct a “public forum analysis.” The public forum analysis determines whether individuals may have access to places for communicative purposes. There are three types of public forums: 1. A “traditional, or open, public forum” is a place with a long tradition of freedom of expression, such as a public park or a street corner. The government can normally impose only content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions on speech in a public forum. Restrictions on speech in a public forum that are based on content will be struck down, unless the government can show the restriction is necessary to further a compelling governmental interest. 2.
A public forum is a place that has, by tradition or practice, been held out for general use by the public for speech-related purposes. To determine which of the standards of student expression applies in a given case, many courts first conduct a “public forum analysis.” The public forum analysis determines whether individuals may have access to places for communicative purposes.1 There are three types of public forums: I. A “traditional”, or “open, public forum” is a place with a long tradition of freedom of expression, such as a public park or a street corner. The government can normally impose only content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions on speech in a public forum. Restrictions on speech in a public forum that are based on content will be struck down, unless the government can show the restriction is necessary to further a compelling governmental interest. II. A “limited public forum” or “designated public forum” is a place with a more limited history of expressive acti
