“Too often copyright is used as an excuse to silence legitimate speech. I”
- #wikipedia
- #quote
- #trusted-source
- #www.npr.org
- #corroborated
Figure timeline
Lawrence Lessig
Lester Lawrence "Larry" Lessig III is an American legal scholar and political activist. He is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the former director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. He is the founder of Creative Commons and Equal Citizens. Lessig was a candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for president of the United States in the…
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
politics · American legal scholar and activist (born 1961) · jurist · political activist · lawyer · non-fiction writer · computer scientist · politician · professor · teacher · also Lawrence Lessig, Larry Lessig, Lester Lawrence Lessig III, Lessig
Born 3 June 1961 · Q217790
46 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
Photos & media
8 photos · 1 audio
Listen
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
In the news
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Recent highlights
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
- Quote
- Quote
what we think of as a very significant chilling of completely legitimate and protected speech.
87%NPRSource
2026· 14 entries
“what we think of as a very significant chilling of completely legitimate and protected speech.”
- #wikipedia
- #quote
- #trusted-source
- #www.npr.org
- #corroborated
“Did Justice Jackson pick me to be his special master because he had determined I was the perfect mix of Holmes, and Ed Felten? No, I was picked because I was a Harvard Law Professor teaching the law of cyberspace. Remember: So is”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
“cement California as a national first-mover in regulating AI”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
“From the #ObviousIdeas Department: Every rule of law governor should establish a special prosecutor's office that commits to holding accountable every ICE agent who violates the law. https://lessig.medium.com/a-workable-converse-1983-8581940436c1?sharedUserId=lessig”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
“Project 2029: Why aren't president-wanna-bes promising that every agent who acted beyond the law will be held accountable? https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/16/us/trump-immigration-crackdown.html?unlocked_article_code=1.6FA.Ek9q.kWZUKYpxMcPA&smid=url-share”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
“I spoke to Weekend Edition's Scott Simon about the Maine initiative to end Super PACs (now being considered by the First Circuit): https://www.npr.org/2026/08/08/nx-s1-5922464/legal-scholar-lawrence-lessig-on-how-a-maine-law-could-topple-super-pacs”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
“This is the core of the argument why Citizens United did not give us Super PACs: https://youtube.com/shorts/4QHG7QPoBmw?si=Qejjn-LyOiTwEUfj”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
“I got to talk to the great Shane Smith about the case that will end Super PACs: https://youtu.be/IhCDnw8rUTk?si=C4Xa0DuhR4Ud9QwS”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
NPR: Legal scholar Lawrence Lessig on how a Maine law could topple Super PACs
- #news
- #headline
“On a new episode of #TheStakes, KF Senior Fellow @nealkatyal.bsky.social and Harvard Law Professor @lessig.bsky.social argue that Citizens United v. FEC is among the most misunderstood Supreme Court decisions in American history: it never authorized unlimited super PAC contributions.”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
“Just back from 1st Circuit oral arguments in the case to uphold Maine's Anti-SuperPAC law. If you want a master class in oral advocacy, listen to Neal Katyal defend the law here: buff.ly/ODbS7E3 (Also, if you want to hear what well-prepared judges sound like!) Fingers crossed.”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
“Apologies for using social media as, well, social media, but: I've been in contact with lots about the upcoming AI-related events in China that was *very* eager to participate in. Unfortunately, I've not been able to secure a visa (and won't qualify for the visa-free option). Very sorry to to miss.”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
“Want to qualify to celebrate America's 250th July 4? The Kennedy School is offering a "free, short, nonpartisan HarvardX online course on the U.S. Constitution" (tbc: it's 250 since the Declaration, not the Constitution (trick question #1)): bit.ly/FreeCourseHa... (click “audit” 4 free ver.)”
- #social
- #bluesky
- #self-published
2023· 1 entry
“We've launched a campaign to crowdfund a prize for the best video showing why THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOES NOT PROTECT SUPERPACs. Here's the thinking behind the campaign. Please share! https:// medium.lessig.org/the-argument -that-will-end-superpacs-8d615c1acd95”
- #social
- #mastodon
- #self-published
2022· 1 entry
“I've moved instances, and am now @ lessig .”
- #social
- #mastodon
- #self-published
2020· 1 entry
The Atlantic: Lawrence Lessig
- #news
- #headline
2019· 1 entry
During the criminal investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, it was discovered that the MIT Media Lab under former director Joichi Ito had accepted secret donations from Epstein after Epstein had been convicted on criminal char
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2017· 1 entry
Lessig announced a movement by Equal Citizens to challenge the winner-take-all Electoral College vote allocation in the various states, called Equal Votes
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2016· 2 entries
Democracy Now: Lawrence Lessig: The Electoral College Is Constitutionally Allowed to Choose Clinton over Trump
- #news
- #headline
Campaign: 2016 presidential candidacy.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #election
- #campaign
2015· 3 entries
Reason: Lawrence Lessig Enters the Presidential Race
- #news
- #headline
Lessig announced that he was entering the race to become a candidate for the 2016 Democratic Party presidential nomination
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Lessig announced that he had launched an exploratory campaign for the purpose of exploring his prospects of winning the Democratic Party nomination for president of the United States in the 2016 election
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2014· 1 entry
Awarded Webby Lifetime Achievement Award (2014).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
2013· 3 entries
Awarded honorary doctorate of Lund University (2013).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
Lessig was appointed as the Roy L
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
And by the Université catholique de Louvain in 2014
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2011· 3 entries
Lessig was named to the Fastcase 50, "honoring the law's smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
“s Get Money Out campaign, under the umbrella of the United Republic organization. Rootstrikers subsequently came under the aegis of Demand Progress, an organization co-founded by Aaron Swartz. Article V convention In 2010, Lessig began to organize for a national Article V convention. He co-founded Fix Congress First! with Joe Trippi. In a speech in 2011, Lessig revealed that he was disappointed with Barack Obama”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
Lessig revealed that he was disappointed with Barack Obama's performance in office, criticizing it as a "betrayal", and he criticized the president for using "the (Hillary) Clinton playbook"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2010· 1 entry
Lessig began to organize for a national Article V convention
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2009· 1 entry
That because 70 percent of young people obtain digital information from illegal sources, laws should be changed
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2008· 1 entry
Lessig explained that he hoped the Change Congress website would help provide technological tools voters could use to hold their representatives accountable and reduce the influence of money on politics
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2007· 1 entry
Awarded Berlin Prize (2007).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
2006· 1 entry
Lessig was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2004· 1 entry
Lessig was elected to the Free Software Foundation (FSF) board of directors
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2003· 1 entry
Awarded FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software (2003).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
2002· 3 entries
Awarded Scientific American 50 (2002).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
Lessig received the Award for the Advancement of Free Software from the Free Software Foundation (FSF)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
A few minutes of his speech was about software patents, which he views as a rising threat to free software, open source software, and innovation
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2001· 2 entries
“When government disappears, it's not as if paradise will take its place. When governments are gone, other interests will take their place.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
- #lang:pt
- #multi-edition
Founded Creative Commons, a nonprofit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon and to share legally
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1989· 1 entry
Studied at Yale Law School, Juris Doctor (1989).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #education
1961· 2 entries
Born 1961-06-03.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #birth
In Rapid City, South Dakota, to Lester Lawrence "Jack" Lessig II (1929–2020) who was an engineer and Patricia "Pat" West Lessig (1930–2019), a real estate agent
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event