The annual Federalist Society Convention commenced Thursday morning. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., welcomed the group of attorneys, press, judges, and other attendees, kicking off a three-day conference that will include debate panels, book signings, and multiple receptions. Attended by more than 1,000 lawyers every year, “FedSoc,” is a conservative or libertarian lawyers’ heaven, full of rigorous debate about everything from federalism to intellectual property.
Officially, the Federalist Society is a nationwide organization comprised of about 60,000 lawyers, scholars, and law students who generally have a conservative and libertarian bent to their thinking. The closest thing to the think tank’s counterpoint might be the American Constitution Society, though that organization started later and isn’t as large.
Over the years, FedSoc has developed a reputation for drawing elite, conservative-leaning lawyers — many attorneys who attend are Ivy League graduates, and federal judges are often panel speakers — and which features robust debates with panelists who often argue from a “right” and “left” perspective. Panelists discuss a range of legal and political issues: This year’s topic is “Administrative Agencies and the Regulatory State.”
On Thursday, FedSoc will feature several debates from the uber-wonky, such as “Labor and Employment Law: A View from the Top: DOL, EEOC, and NLRB” to topics even the non-lawyers in attendance can understand and appreciate, such as “Federalism and Separation of Powers: Is Everyone Now for Federalism?” Consistently, the exchange of ideas presented during debate, while vigorous, remains professional and courteous. The first day will conclude with a dinner and speech by the new Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Friday and Saturday will include more panels, book signings, and receptions.
This year’s FedSoc has particularly big footsteps to fill, as last year highlighted the work and legacy of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Most panels last year were dedicated to examining his opinions and his thought processes, and many featured former law clerks that peppered debates with personal and professional anecdotes of the late justice, which delighted attendees.
In an age of Twitter spats, media debacles, and political riff-raff, FedSoc offers an intellectual escape to those who want to reconnect and exchange ideas about law and policy in a professional manner.
Nicole Russell is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist in Washington, D.C., who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota. She was the 2010 recipient of the American Spectator’s Young Journalist Award.
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