False Speech, __ Soc. Theory & Prac. (forthcoming 2027)
Daniel Browning
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Politics, Princeton University
Visiting Fellow, Information Society Project, Yale Law School
J.D., Yale Law School, 2026
I am a legal scholar and political theorist studying the relationship between law, democracy, and values like freedom of expression. I am especially interested in exploring the value of freedom of expression outside traditional First Amendment contexts. I am also interested in the theory and practice of contract law.
Before returning to Princeton to complete my Ph.D., I received my J.D. from Yale Law School and my B.A. from N.C. State University. During law school, I was a Coker Fellow for Prof. Keith Whittington and an Executive Podcast Producer for Digging a Hole: The Legal Theory Podcast. During the summers, I worked for the Knight First Amendment Institute as a legal intern and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as a summer associate.
In my free time, I like to cook, tinker with new coffees, and run marathons.
Research
Published or Forthcoming Articles
Jawboning as Collaborative Governance, 6 J. Free Speech L. 1245 (2026) (peer reviewed)
Judge William E. Miller Prize, for the best Yale Law School student paper on the Bill of Rights.
Works in Progress
Popular Writing
Freedom of Expression After Trump v. Slaughter, Balkinization (Jul. 6, 2026)
Jawboning Late Night: A Lesson in How Corporate Consolidation Creates Free Speech Problems, Balkinization (Sept. 22, 2025)
Curriculum Vitae
Contact
Department of PoliticsPrinceton University
001 Fisher Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544