FEDERALIST SOCIETY
FOR LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY STUDIES


WHAT IS THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY?

The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies was founded in 1982 by law students at Harvard, Yale, and Chicago on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. It is a nationwide, non-partisan organization of law students and legal professionals dedicated to promoting awareness of these principles and to furthering their application in the academic and professional legal environments.

Our goal is simple -- to foster much needed debate about contemporary legal issues. Law schools and the legal profession are currently strongly dominated by a form of orthodox liberal ideology which advocates a centralized and uniform society. While some members of the academic community have dissented from these views, by and large they are taught simultaneously with (and indeed as if they were) the law.
By providing a forum for legal experts of opposing views to interact with members of the legal profession, the judiciary, law students, academics, and the architects of public policy, the Society has redefined the terms of legal debate. Our expansion in membership, chapters, and program activity has been matched by the rapid growth of the Society's reputation and the quality and influence of our events. We have fostered a greater appreciation for the role of separation of powers; federalism; limited, constitutional government; and the rule of law in protecting individual freedom and traditional values. Overall, the Society's efforts are improving our present and future leaders' understanding of the principles underlying American law.

The Federalist Society has three divisions:
  • Student Division: There are more than 5,000 students members at approximately 145 ABA-accredited law schools, including all of the top twenty law schools. The national office provides speakers and other assistance to the chapters in organizing their lectures, debates, and educational activities.
  • Lawyers Division: Over 20,000 legal professionals and others interested in current intellectual and practical developments in the law are members of the Lawyers Division. It has active chapters in sixty cities, including Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Indianapolis. Activities include the annual National Lawyers Convention, a Speakers Bureau for organizing lectures and debates, and 15 Practice Groups.
  • Faculty Division: Established in 1999, the Faculty Division provides events and other tools to help encourage contstructive academic discourse. This encouragement will help foster the growth and development of rigorous traditional legal scholarship.


The Boalt Hall chapter of the Federalist Society's specific goals include:
  • Promoting thoughtful and challenging discussion of legal and public policy issues through debates, speaking events, and informal socializing.
  • Academically and intellectually supporting conservative and libertarian law students.
  • Ensuring that all Boalt students – future leaders of the legal profession – are thoughtfully exposed to conservative and libertarian perspectives, and consider these perspectives in their analysis of legal issues.