FedSoc Events

Even though the Founders conceived Congress as the most powerful of the three branches of government, today the legislative branch is widely regarded as weak, indolent, and even irrelevant. With the imbalance of power and accountability that has been created by this political vacuum, Congress has lapsed into problematic behavior that is both expensive and harmful to the notion of representative go...

The Georgetown Student Chapter hosted this conversation with Justice Thomas during the 2018 National Student Symposium Banquet on March 10, 2018. Hon. Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States Prof. Jennifer Mascott, Assistant Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Supreme Court and Administrative Law Clinics, Antonin Scalia Law School

The Fourteenth Amendment dramatically changed constitutional law. How are we to understand these changes? Did the Fourteenth Amendment change our Federalism and, if so, how much? Prof. John C. Harrison, James Madison Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law Prof. Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Professor of Law, Georgetown Law Elizabeth B. Wydra, President, Constitutional Ac...

What role for the executive was envisioned by the Framers and Founding generation? How did the Founding generation understand the Executive’s role? How did the likely first President, George Washington shape their views? Has the role of the Executive changed? Prof. Martin S. Flaherty, Leitner Family Professor, Co-Director, Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, Fordham University...

In 1776, the Continental Congress declared the birth of a new nation. Six of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence went on to craft and sign the Constitution in 1787. What role does the Declaration of Independence play in constitutional interpretation? Should it be considered foundational to the Constitution’s purpose and structure or is it just one source among many? Prof. Rand...

Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivered this address at the 2018 National Student Symposium at Georgetown Law on March 10, 2018. Hon. Jeff Sessions, Attorney General of the United States Introduction by: Prof. Randy E. Barnett, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory, Georgetown Law Welcome: Ethan Womble, President, Georgetown Student Chapter

Hamilton referred to the federal judiciary as the “least dangerous” branch of the new federal government. But the Court has clearly done more than he envisioned. What is its proper role? How much should judges interpret the exact text and how much should they look to the core principles the text seeks to protect? Welcome: Ethan Womble, President, Georgetown Student Chapter Opening Rema...

Article V of the Constitution provides a process for amending the Constitution. However, this process has only produced a handful of Amendments. Many Amendments have been proposed throughout the nation’s history. What’s next? Looking to first principles, did the Founders leave anything out that is necessary today? What possible Amendments might be desirable and practical? Prof. Jamal G...

Is there something wrong with the way we speak about speech? Tara Smith, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, discusses several conceptual issues in how we talk about free speech. Hosted by the University of Texas at Austin School of Law Federalist Society. Dr. Tara Smith, Professor of Philosophy; BB&T Chair for the Study of Objectivism; Anthem Foundation Fellow for th...

This symposium was co-sponsored by the Regulatory Transparency Project and took place at the Antonin Scalia Law School on February 2, 2018. Authors: C. Boyden Gray, Founding Partner, Boyden Gray & AssociatesRegulating in the Shadows: How Agencies Achieve Indirectly that Which they have No Authority to Achieve Directly Adam J. White, Director, Center for the Study of the Administrative State an...

This symposium was co-sponsored by the Regulatory Transparency Project and took place at the Antonin Scalia Law School on February 2, 2018. Authors: Stewart A. Baker, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson Justin ‘Gus’ Hurwitz, Assistant Professor of Law and Co-Director of Space, Cyber, and Telecom Law Program, University of Nebraska College of LawRegulators in Cyberia Discussants: Alan Butler...

This symposium was co-sponsored by the Regulatory Transparency Project and took place at the Antonin Scalia Law School on February 2, 2018. Authors: James C. Cooper, Associate Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics and Privacy, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law SchoolState Licensing Boards, Antitrust, and Innovation Clark Neily, Vice President for Criminal Justice, Cato Insti...

This symposium was co-sponsored by the Regulatory Transparency Project and took place at the Antonin Scalia Law School on February 2, 2018. Welcome & Introduction: Bonnie Kelly, Editor in Chief, Journal of Law, Economics & Policy Devon Westhill, Director, Regulatory Transparency Project, The Federalist Society Authors: Charles J. Cooper, Partner, Cooper & KirkRegulating in the Shadows:...

2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference The panelists discussed the roles and responsibilities of Attorney Generals and specifically the role of Florida's AG. Discussion included an explanation of the varied roles and responsibilities statutorily and constitutionally given to the Attorney General and different means and perspectives on filling those roles. The discussion also encompassed the prope...

2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference Session III: Florida Separation of Powers Panelists: Amit Agarwal – Solicitor General, Florida Kathryn Ciano – Senior Counsel, Uber Mayanne Downs – City Attorney, Orlando Daniel Nordby – General Counsel, Governor of Florida Moderator: Hon. Tom Barber, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida As always, the Federalist Society takes no posi...

2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference Opening Remarks Hon. Adam Putnam - Agriculture Commissioner, Florida Session II: The First Amendment/Title IX and Due Process at the Universities Nancy Hogshead-Makar - CEO, Champion Women; Advocacy for Girls and Women in Sports Prof. Michael T. Morley – Barry University, School of Law Jesse Panuccio - Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, U.S....

2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference Panel Discussion Participants: Hon. R. Alexander Acosta - Secretary, United States Department of Labor Hon. Scott Pruitt - Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Moderator: Hon. Gregory G. Katsas - United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issu...

Governor Rick Scott of Florida delivered a short address at the 2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference. Hon. Richard L. Scott - Governor, Florida Introduction: Daniel Nordby – General Counsel, Governor of Florida As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.

2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference Welcome and Opening Remarks: Elena Crosby - Director of Constituent Services, Office of US Senator -Marco Rubio; Orlando Lawyers Chapter President, The Federalist Society Hon. Jimmy Patronis - Chief Financial Officer, Florida Session I: Departures from the American Rule on Attorney’s Fees Panelists: Bruce J. Berman – Shareholder, Carlton Fields P...

No clause in the Constitution draws more judicial encomia to liberty than the Free Speech Clause. But as Justice Robert Jackson warned, extending freedom of speech to unworthy expression can actually “belittle great principles of liberty.” Courts today regularly confront opportunities to expand free speech protection--for example, whether there is a speech right to flash one’s he...

With federal proposals like the DISCLOSE Act sidelined by Republicans in Congress, some state governments officials, including state secretaries of state, have sought to place limitations on campaign speech through other methods. State legislators have proposed new state laws against “dark money” and advocated new disclosure regimes as well as increased restrictions on speech and polit...

Although the First Amendment makes no distinction between types of speech, courts have consistently offered so-called “commercial speech” less protection than non-commercial speech. Under the Central Hudson test, courts balance the interests of regulators against the interests of those engaged in commercial speech. These interests can lead to limitations on how pharmaceutical companies...

Free speech on college campuses has been under attack in recent years, increasingly from students who have protested speakers whom they disagree with politically. These protests have succeeded in both cancelling events and creating disturbances through blockades, shouts, and even violence as was the case at Middlebury College. What responsibilities do universities hold to protect a climate that en...

With January 2018 marking roughly a decade after the start of the most recent financial crisis, this panel will assess the corresponding legal and regulatory responses to the crisis. Panelists: Hilary Allen, Suffolk University Law School David Zaring, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Todd Zywicki, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School Moderator: Robert Ahdieh, Emory...