Yale Law School is one of the world’s premier law schools, widely respected for its excellence in preparing legal scholars, practitioners, and politicians. From the legal realists of the 1930s to the law and economics movement and the “New Haven School of International Law,” Yale Law School has remained at the forefront of legal scholarship.
The Federalist Society was founded at Yale Law School in 1982, and the first Student Symposium was held at Yale in that year. In 2002, the Symposium returned to Yale for a conversation on “Law and Truth.” Our current membership is thrilled to welcome Federalist Society students from across the country to the 2009 Symposium on “Separation of Powers in American Constitutionalism.”
The Yale Federalist Society is one of the nation’s strongest Federalist Society Student Chapters, as well as one of the most active student groups at Yale Law School. Thus far in Fall 2008, the Yale Federalist Society has hosted a lecture by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, a debate between Ms. Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum and YLS Professor Reva Siegel on grassroots social movements and the future of feminism, a debate between Dr. Abigail Thernstrom of the Manhattan Institute and YLS Professor Heather Gerken on race-based districting, a debate between YLS Professors Thomas Merrill and Jerry Mashaw on the future of the non-delegation doctrine, a conversation between Supreme Court Justices from around the world (including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy), and a debate between Professor John McGinnis of Northwestern University and YLS Professor Jack Balkin on originalism – as well as numerous social events.
In the spring semester, the chapter looks forward to hosting a lecture on natural law by Judge Neil Gorsuch (10th Cir.), a debate on statutory interpretation between Harvard Professor John Manning and YLS Professor William Eskridge, and a lecture by former Judge, Solicitor General, and Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. Last year, Federalist Society speakers at YLS included: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Judge Michael McConnell (10th Cir.), Judge Brett Kavanaugh (D.C. Cir.), former Solicitor General Theodore Olson, and former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton.
Click here to see the Yale Federalist Society’s website.