Georgetown Federalist Society Blog

Judicial Engagement Debate - Oct. 13 at Noon

2011-10-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

Join us tomorrow, Thursday, October 13th at noon for a debate between Clark Neily and Ed Whelan on the topic of judicial engagement. Free Lunch from Quiznos and outstanding debate!

Supreme Court Round-Up

2011-09-26T18:37:00.001-04:00

A supreme court round-up featuring two distinguished Georgetown Law Professors. Please join the Federalist Society for a presentation by Viet Dinh and Paul Clement with a reception to follow. The event will be this Thursday, September 29th from 6 - 8 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium at Georgetown University Law Center.

Where: GULC Hart Auditorium

When: Thursday, September 29 2011

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Lifetime Service Award to Judge Douglas Ginsburg April 26

2011-04-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

On April 26, Judge Douglas Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will accept the 8th annual Georgetown Federalist Society Lifetime Service Award. Judge Ginsburg will be introduced by the Hon. C. Boyden Gray and deliver an address entitled "An Accidental Life Servant." The event is free and open to all who are interested in celebrating Judge Ginsburg's many excellent years of service on the bench, in the classroom, and in public service. We are very grateful Judge Ginsburg has accepted the award and we look forward to welcoming a big crowd to Georgetown for the occasion.

DATE: 4/26/11
TIME: 6:30-7:30 (reception to follow)
PLACE: Gewirz 12th Floor
RSVP: Requested to gulcfedsoc (at) gmail (dot) com

Religious Conscience Panel

2011-04-07T12:33:00.000-04:00

Please join us on April 14 for a panel discussion on religious conscience exemptions in the health care arena. The protection of conscience for health care providers has, in some arguments, been pitted against the right of an individual to receive a health care product or service. This past February, the Obama Administration revised earlier conscience clause regulations enacted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Bush Administration. What are the practical implications of these revised regulations? How will the federal government now handle complaints filed by health care providers who allege that they have been compelled to violate their moral or religious beliefs? These and other questions will be addressed by our panel of experts.

Panelists include Dr. M. Gregg Bloche of Georgetown Law, Robert Destro of American Law, Farr A. Curlin of the University of Chicago Medical Center, and Professor D. Jessie Hill of Case Western Reserve University School of Law. The panel will be moderated by Professor Mark Rienzi of Catholic Law. Free catered lunch will be provided. This event has been made possible by a generous John Templeton Foundation grant.

DATE: 4/14/11
TIME: 12:30 - 2:00pm
LOCATION: McD 200

Diane Sykes speaking on April 1

2011-03-29T08:43:00.000-04:00

The Georgetown Federalist Society is honored to host Seventh Circuit Judge Diane Sykes on April 1 for a presentation on "Gender and Judging: Perspectives from the Bench." A Lent-appropriate free lunch will be provided featuring chicken, steak and fish tacos. Please join us for this important event featuring one of the most highly regarded judges on the federal bench.

Judge Sykes will also be judging the final round of the Beaudry Moot Court Competition on Thursday night in Hart Auditorium.

Date: 4/1/2011
Place: McD 200
Time: 12-1:30pm

GJLPP to Cosponsor Lifetime Service Award

2011-03-23T12:43:00.002-04:00

The Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy will be co-sponsoring the Georgetown Federalist Society's Eighth Annual Lifetime Service Award presentation to Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg on April 26 from 6:30-7:30pm in Gewirz 12. Judge Ginsburg's address will be published in Vol. 10, Issue 1 (Winter 2011) of the journal. GJLPP is among the nation's leading journals focusing on conservative and libertarian legal thought.

Patriot Act Panel March 23

2011-03-22T09:23:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday March 23, Georgetown FedSoc is co-hosting a panel discussion with ACS entitled "Extend, Amend, or Repeal? The Patriot Act at Ten." The panel will be moderated by Georgetown Law's Laura Donohue and will feature Professor Steve Vladeck from American Law, Michelle Richardson from the ACLU, Richard Samp from the Washington Legal Foundation, and Professor Nathan Sales from George Mason Law.

DATE: 3/23/11
TIME: 6-7:30pm (reception to follow)
PLACE: Gewirz 12

International Trade Panel March 24

2011-03-21T13:19:00.001-04:00

Please join us on March 24 from 12-2 for a star-studded international trade panel featuring Claude Barfield from AEI, Tim Reif from USTR, and Professor John McGinnis from Northwestern Law. The panel will be moderated by Neena Shenai, trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee and former AEI research fellow. As always, free lunch will be provided. Special thanks to the Templeton Foundation for the very generous grant that made this event possible. Note: this event is no longer scheduled be to recorded.

DATE: Thursday March 24
TIME: 12-2
PLACE: McD 200

Congressional Clerkship Initiative

2011-03-18T12:41:00.000-04:00

On April 5, Georgetown Law is hosting a conference to discuss the merits of creating a Congressional Clerkship program to provide clerkships similar to those offered by the other two branches of government. Details on the initiative and the conference are here. There is also a law student petition that will be delivered to members of Congress attending the conference. You can sign that petition and indicate your support for the initiative here.

New Book by Lester Brickman

2011-03-11T12:59:00.000-05:00

Professor Lester Brickman of Cardozo School of Law and the Manhattan Institute has an interesting new book out on the enormous costs imposed by our tort system. This book is a broad and deep inquiry into how contingency fees distort our civil justice system, influence our political system, and endanger democratic governance. Contingency fees are the way personal injury lawyers finance access to the courts for those wrongfully injured. Although the public senses that lawyers manipulate the justice system to serve their own ends, few are aware of the high costs that come with contingency fees. This book sets out to change that, providing a window into the seamy underworld of contingency fees that the bar and the courts not only tolerate but even protect and nurture. Contrary to a broad academic consensus, the book argues that the financial incentives for lawyers to litigate are so inordinately high that they perversely impact our civil justice system and impose other unconscionable costs. It thus presents the intellectual architecture that underpins all tort reform efforts.

Daniel Fisher at Forbes has a good review of the book here. Buy the book on amazon here.

Cato Book Forum on Legal Academia

2011-03-01T09:36:00.004-05:00

The Cato Institute is hosting a book forum this Thursday at 4pm on Walter Olson's "Schools for Misrule: Legal Academia and an Overlawyered America." The panel will feature Mr. Olson, Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, and Cato's Vice President for Legal Affairs Roger Pilon. Judge Ginsburg will be speaking at Georgetown Law on April 5 to accept our annual Lifetime Service Award. Mr. Pilon spoke at Georgetown Law in January.

Professor Barnett had this to say about the book: "While the public loves to bash lawyers, judges, and politicians, law professors have escaped all blame. Olson provides the inside story of how progressive political ideology became the reigning orthodoxy of elite legal education, providing the legal theories responsible for an overweening government committed to mandating, prohibiting, or regulating every aspect of American life in the "public interest." I wish I could say he exaggerates but, sadly, the legal foundation of the road to serfdom was devised by law professors."

Student Symposium Starts Tonight!

2011-02-25T10:23:00.002-05:00

For those of you unable to make it to Charlottesville this weekend, the UVA chapter will be liveblogging the event on their website: http://uvafederalist.blogspot.com/. The schedule of events is here.

John Roberts in Fortune

2011-01-31T06:59:00.003-05:00

Fortune Magazine ran a profile piece of Chief Justice John Roberts earlier this month. The article is online here. In a passage germane to our most recent debate, the had this to say about popular opinion and the Court:

"Because there is a constant change in membership on the Court influenced by the political process...it's hard to sustain a view of the law when there's a sustained popular majority that rejects it. Eventually the disconnect results in modifications in constitutional doctrine."

Coverage of Pilon-Friedman Event

2011-01-29T09:59:00.003-05:00

Ann Parks from the Georgetown Alumni Association covered our last event for the alumni magazine. A link to her story is here.

RIP LSAT?

2011-01-14T09:34:00.002-05:00

According to the National Law Journal, the ABA is considering making the LSATs voluntary rather than mandatory for admission to law schools under its accreditation standards. The WSJ Law Blog has a piece here. The Careerist gives its opinion here. I am sure most LSAT alumni would agree that a person who cannot determine whether the conclusion follows from the premises has no business in law school.

Event: January 19 3:30 PM

2011-01-13T07:35:00.003-05:00

Our first event of the Spring semester is Wednesday, January 19 from 3:30-5:00pm in McD 205. Professor Barry Friedman from NYU will debate Roger Pilon from the Cato Institute on the Conservatism of the Roberts Court and how the Court does/should act based on public opinion.

Please meet us at 3:30 for a great event featuring two prominent presenters. The event is co-sponsored with Georgetown ACS.

DATE: Wed., Jan. 19

TIME: 3:30-5:00

PLACE: McD 205

End of the Year Survey

2010-12-16T19:24:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone for a great Fall semester. Please take a minute to fill out a quick, anonymous survey evaluating our Fall events and expressing your interest in Spring event topics.

Texas Says: Don't Be a Loser

2010-12-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

WSJ had this editorial yesterday about Gov. Rick Perry's push for further statewide tort reform that includes implementing a loser pays system and preventing judges from creating new causes of action. An excellent study of loser pays by the Manhattan Institute's Marie Gryphon is here. Comments?

DC Lawyers Luncheon This Friday

2010-12-15T09:34:00.001-05:00

This Friday the DC Lawyers Chapter is hosting AEI's Michael S. Greve on "The Failing States of America-Is Bankruptcy an Option?" Register here.

DATE: 12/17/10
TIME: Noon-1:30
PLACE: Tony Cheng's (Gallery Place)
COST: $15

Happy Holawdays

2010-12-13T20:58:00.001-05:00

A California judge recognized Festivus as a legitimate religion in order to give a convicted drug felon special meals in jail. Story here. It's always good to hear about judges taking their jobs seriously.

Cuccinelli 1, Obama 0

2010-12-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

Obama just got an early lump of coal in his stocking. The penalty for not buying healthcare has been deemed unconstitutional in district court. Forbes has a summary of the Obamacare ruling here. Washington Post here. Judge Henry E. Hudson just became infamous.

Study Break: Future of Federalism

2010-12-03T19:32:00.001-05:00

Will Wilkinson has an interesting piece for the Economist on a "Repeal Amendment" that would give a majority of states the power to overturn federal law. If that sounds like a Randy Barnett idea...that's because it is. According the article, "the amendment is the brainchild of Randy Barnett, a law professor at Georgetown University." Thoughts? Ilya Somin has some at Volokh.

Good luck to everyone taking Barnett's Con Law II final. Talking about this amendment in an essay question probably won't hurt your grade.

Justice Stevens on 60 Minutes

2010-11-29T07:25:00.000-05:00

Justice Stevens gives his opinions on Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Padilla, and Babe Ruth's called shot. He also takes the cameras behind the scenes to the Supreme Court library and robing room. Even Justice Souter makes a cameo appearance to praise Stevens' work. Video here.

Georgetown Law = Beautiful

2010-11-23T18:44:00.001-05:00

In case TSA pat downs get you upset over Thanksgiving break, or if you are just missing the way campus looks during Fall, this video is sure to cheer you up.

The clock tower gets a lot of attention and the music sounds like an old Nintendo game soundtrack, but overall it is a good film. The handshake at 1:05 is the second strangest handshake of 2010.

30th Annual National Student Convention

2010-11-23T07:18:00.001-05:00

It is time to sign up for the National Student Convention in Charlottesville, VA on February 25 & 26, 2011. The topic this year is "Capitalism, Markets, and the Constitution." Register to attend and pay here. Transportation is partially funded but hotel accommodations are your own responsibility. Click on the image above for full details. Info about Charlottesville and area hotels is at the bottom of this page.

Fed Soc Annual Lawyers Dinner Recap

2010-11-22T18:26:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday, Justice Scalia was interviewed by CBS News Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford. Above the Law has a nice summary here. Special thanks to Professor Randy Barnett for inviting some Georgetown Law students to attend. Check here for video and audio from the entire National Lawyers Convention.

Federalist Society Lawyers Convention

2010-11-18T11:28:00.002-05:00

The Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention is this weekend and in case you cannot make it, Josh Blackman is streaming some of the events on his blog.

UPDATE: The Federalist Society is also live blogging the event at fedsocblog.com. Georgetown Professor Randy Barnett was on a health care panel this morning. Recap here.

Charlie Rangel Needs a Lawyer, Pockets are Empty

2010-11-16T08:14:00.000-05:00

Anyone needing some pro bono hours could lend a hand to Mr. Rangel. His previous counsel stepped down after Mr. Rangel racked up huge bills that he probably cannot pay. From the AmLaw Daily:

On Monday, Rangel complained that the two-year investigation caused him to rack up a legal tab of nearly $2 million, with another $1 million in fees for the House hearing alone, the Times reports. After failing to convince his Zuckerman lawyers of his ability to pay them, the firm withdrew its representation earlier this fall.

The story is here. Be sure to watch the video as well if you have 12 spare minutes. Rangel, who has a law degree from St. John's, does not do a great job representing himself. He is not sure whether he raises a motion to continue even with some help from ethics panelist Congressman G.K. Butterfield D-NC. Exasperated, Butterfield makes his own motion to continue which was subsequently denied.

Is Litigation Finance a Good Idea?

2010-11-15T19:49:00.001-05:00

The NYT had a good article today about the growth of litigation finance in funding plaintiffs' lawsuits. Article is here. The Chamber of Commerce, per the Institute for Legal Reform does not seem thrilled with this trend.

UPDATE: Professor Epstein offers his take on the subject here.

Richard Redding: November 17

2010-11-12T07:28:00.000-05:00

LAST EVENT OF THE SEMESTER

On Wednesday November 17th from 4-5pm, Professor Richard Redding will be talking about the ill effects of political correctness in American academia. The presentation will also highlight the costs of the lack of intellectual diversity in the professoriate. Professor Redding is an editor and contributor to the most important book on the subject. The event is McD 206. As always, free food and drinks.

TONIGHT: Veterans Day Panel

2010-11-11T07:33:00.001-05:00

Please join the Military Law Society as we honor Veterans Day with a panel and happy hour reception. The Veterans Day Panel will include Georgetown Law students who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11. Panelists will share their experiences and opinions on military and veterans issues. Pizza and soda will be provided at the event. A happy hour reception will follow the panel at the Billy Goat.

Please promote this event amongst your friends, classmates, and professors. This is the most meaningful event MLS puts on every year.

What: Veterans Day Panel

Who: Georgetown Law veterans--details below

Where: McDonough 205

When: Thursday, 11/11 at 6pm

Why: Because one way to honor all who have served is to share the stories of a few.

Panelist include:

Thomas Leary: Commander, U.S. Navy, Judge Advocate General Corps, legal advisor to a 3-star Joint Special Operations Task Force, headquartered in Iraq, in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and then back to Afghanistan in 2010 after we shifted our headquarters to support the surge. Previously, legal advisor to an O-6 level Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2004, and in Iraq in 2003 (initial combat operations in OIF)

Aaron Pennekamp: First Lieutenant, Army National Guard, Infantry Rifle Platoon Leader in Iraq from March to August 2010

William Sloan: Captain, USMC, Company Excutive Officer, Fallujah, Iraq from September 2007 to April 2008, and Platoon Commander, Fallujah, Iraq from October 2005 to September 2006

Andy Moore: First Lieutenant, Army National Guard, Embedded Tactical Trainer to the Afghanistan National Army and Police from January 2007 to January 2008

Panel Moderator: Gordon Griffin, Captain, USMC, Aviation Officer, Iraq 2006-2007

Health Care Challenge Not Ready For SCOTUS

2010-11-09T15:29:00.000-05:00

From the WSJ:
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a long-shot request for a review of the Obama administration's health-care overhaul before the matter has been fully litigated. The high court's rejection of the health-care challenge, brought by a conservative legal group in California, wasn't a surprise, but it yielded one notable piece of information: Justices Elena Kagan and Clarence Thomas participated in the court's decision not to hear the case.

Full Story here.

AEI Election Results Panel

2010-11-02T09:07:00.002-04:00

The American Enterprise Institute is hosting a panel on Thursday to discuss today's elections results. Info and registration here: http://www.aei.org/event/100322. For those who have not been to AEI before, it is only a block north from Farragut North Metro on 17th NW. The event is free; lunch will be provided.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 4

Time: 12-2

Place: AEI, 17th Street NW (Farragut North metro)

Election Night Viewing Party

2010-11-01T15:13:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, November 2nd from 7-10 the Georgetown Federalist Society is co-sponsoring an election viewing party in the Gewirz first floor lounge. Free pizza, soda, beer, and democracy. The event co-sponsored by Law Republicans, Law Democrats, and the Georgetown Election Law Society.

UPDATE: great guide to today's election from WSJ here.

DATE: November 2nd
TIME: 7-10pm
PLACE: Gewirz first floor lounge

From Where Should Judges Come?

2010-10-31T09:24:00.000-04:00

David Rivkin is angry with Sandra Day O'Connor because of her support (and campaign telephone calls) for "merit" selection for judges. Rivkin's objections were in the WSJ on Friday. The Washington Times had an editorial on the same subject here. From the Times:

This week, the retired justice was exposed for having recorded political robo-calls pushing a constitutional amendment in Nevada for state judges to be appointed by governors rather than elected by citizens. She claims she never gave permission for her recording to be used for robo-calls, but she recorded not just a voice message but also a video for a political group dedicated solely to passing this amendment - a group she leads as "honorary chairwoman."

Immigration Law Panel November 3rd.

2010-10-29T11:55:00.002-04:00

The Georgetown Federalist Society is co-sponsoring an Immigration Law Panel on November 3rd from 12:30-2 in McD 437. The panel will feature:

Mark Krikorian of The Center for Immigration Studies

Marc Rosenblum of Migration Policy Institute
Michael Hethmon of Immigration Reform Law Institute
Liz McGrail of CAIR Coalition

The panel will be moderated by Peter Asaad, immigration law professor at American University.

Clear your schedule for this great event and come hear both sides of the important issue.

T-Shirts on Sale, Thursday October 28 12-3

2010-10-25T16:53:00.001-04:00

In order to meet rising demand, we will be selling the rest of our t-shirts at the tables outside the McDonough Hall Chapel (conveniently located near the ATMs) on Thursday, October 28 from 12-3. The shirts are $10 cash each. Be sure to get one before it is too late.

Should US Courts Ignore International Law? October 28

2010-10-25T15:19:00.001-04:00

BYU Law Professor David Moore

Our next event is this Thursday, October 28 from 12-1 in McD 202. Professor David Moore from BYU Law will address the question "Should U.S. Courts Ignore International Law." Please come by for free lunch, free drinks, and an interesting presentation.

Volunteer For National Lawyers Convention

2010-10-07T07:13:00.000-04:00

The National Office needs 100 volunteers to help run the National Lawyers Convention from November 18 - 20. Selected volunteers are allowed to attend most of the convention for free. All the information you need to register is here. You must be a dues paying student member of the Federalist Society ($5) to volunteer so make sure you register before signing up to volunteer.

CATO event: James Madison Rules America

2010-10-05T07:18:00.000-04:00

Cato book forum on William F. Connelly Jr.'s new book, James Madison Rules America: The Constitutional Origins of Congressional Partnership.

Critics argue that Congress has become the "broken branch," marked by extreme partisanship and few achievements. They prescribe nostrums ranging from campaign finance regulation to redistricting reform to foster compromise rather than conflict on Capitol Hill. Yet the American founders, especially James Madison, believed "ambition must be made to counteract ambition" as a way to limit the power of government. The Constitution itself favors broad consent to laws over an efficient implementation of the will of a majority. William Connelly believes many of the "flaws" in Congress identified by critics arise from the Constitution. Please join us for a lively discussion of how and why the Constitution created a Congress marked by conflict, polarization, and partisanship and why that might be a good thing.

The event is FREE, but you have to RSVP here.

DATE: October 14
TIME: Noon
FOOD: Free Lunch
WHERE: Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave (Metro Center)

Job Opportunities

2010-10-05T07:12:00.000-04:00

1. The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) seeks a self-starting, entrepreneurial Online Education Director to drive a major new initiative to teach students about classical liberal ideas on the web. IHS envisions creating the first open platform for online educational delivery of classical liberal ideas. On the model of TED.com, the platform would first host video and other content from IHS seminars and faculty in the IHS network. Once we have a robust platform, it would be opened to others to add and manage their own educational content. For more information, please visit our website at www.theIHS.org/Jobs.

2. There is an exciting Fellowship opportunity open to Federalist Society members here at C-FAM. Edmund Burke Fellows receive a front-row seat in the fight to promote a culture of life at the United Nations. Responsibilities include lobbying delegates, performing research, and observing and reporting on UN meetings.

Our Edmund Burke Fellowship Program seeks law students and recent graduates who possess a demonstrated background in public policy and/or international law. Applicants may apply for two separate Fellowships. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Fellowship is open to students whose Spring Break falls between February 22nd and March 4th of 2011. Thirty Fellows (split between the two-week Commission) will be selected for the CSW Fellowship. Our second Fellowship--the UN Conference on Youth Fellowship—is a week-long Summer program. Because the UN has not yet finalized the dates of the Youth Conference, the dates for our Summer Fellowship are not yet available, but C-FAM welcomes applications for the Summer program at this time as well.

Students and graduates selected for this highly-competitive program will each be awarded scholarships of $500.00 per person to help cover hotel and travel expenses. Thank you in advance for spreading the word among Federalist Society members, and we welcome further questions and inquiries. The deadline for applications for the CSW Fellowship is November 1, 2010. http://www.c-fam.org/programs/id.200/default.asp

Lawless Reds Celebrate Division Win With Heinous Acts

2010-10-01T07:18:00.001-04:00

Government never sleeps. The Reds may be under investigation for violating Ohio's smoking ban. Anonymous callers to a state run hotline reported that some members of the organization were smoking cigars in the stadium following the division clinch. The matter has been referred to the Cincinnati Health Department for enforcement:

"If the inspector sees someone smoking, the Reds will be sent a letter notifying them of the violation, which the team can appeal. No fine is attached to any initial violation. If another complaint is filed and an inspector responds again to the ballpark and sees someone smoking, the Reds could be fined $100."

Full article here.

Parking Paradise Lost

2010-09-30T07:15:00.000-04:00

In the age of bailouts, government provided health care, student loans, retirement, prescription drug benefits......it seems you can trust government for just about anything, except parking your car. The Secret Service lost a Lexus last week belonging to a dinner attendee at the Washington Convention Center.

U.S. Prosecutors Gone Wild

2010-09-28T07:14:00.002-04:00

Reason Magazine has an interesting piece on U.S. Prosecutorial misconduct:

During oral arguments in that case (Pottawattamie v. McGhee), a majority of Supreme Court justices seemed to indicate that they may finally be ready to put a dent in absolute prosecutorial immunity, the complete protection (which has no basis in the U.S. Constitution and no common law tradition) we give prosecutors from lawsuits from the people they prosecute, even in cases where a prosecutor’s gross negligence contributed to a wrongful conviction. At issue in Pottawattamie was whether absolute immunity should protect prosecutors even in cases where they intentionally manufacture evidence that causes a wrongful conviction. That case was settled before the Court could issue a decision, but the Court will revisit the question next term, in the case Connick v. Thompson. It isn’t difficult to see how shielding prosecutors from liability even in an obvious frame job creates some some pretty twisted incentives.

The full article is here. This article appears on the same day that news outlets are reporting that one of the prosecutors in the Ted Stevens corruption case has committed suicide.

Save the Date: October 7

2010-09-27T22:28:00.000-04:00

Our friends at the J. Reuben Clark Law Society are hosting a great Religious Liberty Panel on October 7 at 5pm in Hart Auditorium. I encourage anyone who can make it to attend. Guests will include:

Mark E. Chopko

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP

Adjunct Faculty, Georgetown University Law Center

Eric Rassbach

National Litigation Director, Becket Fund

Cole Durham

Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies

Von G. Keetch

Kirton & McConkie PC

RSVP is requested by October 7 to jrcls@law.georgetown.edu

Event: Monday September 27

2010-09-24T07:02:00.002-04:00

John Radsan (bio) will be here on Monday September 27 from 3:30-4:30 in McD 141 to discuss some issues related to last week's debate on predator drones. Our debate centered on the legality of the strikes. Mr. Radsan will build on his own experience working for the CIA to discuss whether the drone program makes practical sense, especially in countries such as Yemen which may be outside the zone of conflict. His SSRN page is here. Papers 1,8, and 13 will be the heart of his talk. A recent NPR story featuring Radsan is here.

TIME: 3:30-4:30
PLACE: McD 141
FREE PIZZA
T-SHIRTS ON SALE

$10 T-Shirt Sale

2010-09-21T10:44:00.000-04:00

Our new shirts came in today and will go on sale at this afternoon's event. The shirts are $10 (cash only) each and come in heather gray, navy, and Carolina blue, S,M,L,XL.

International Law Debate: September 21

2010-09-14T21:59:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday September 21 from 1-2pm, we will host a debate between Arthur Spitzer of the ACLU and Professor Michael Lewis from Northern Ohio Law School. The debate is on the propriety and legality of the remote controlled targeted killings used in fighting terrorism. Mr. Spitzer filed an important brief in a recent case on the subject, al-Aulaqi v. Obama, which you can read here. Mr. Lewis criticized that brief here. The event should be interesting and informative.

FREE LUNCH FROM CAL TORT

UPDATED TIME: 1-2
ROOM: McD 203

Next Event: September 15

2010-09-12T07:30:00.001-04:00

Bob Levy will be our guest on Wednesday, September 15th to talk about his recent book, "The Dirty Dozen." Mr. Levy is chairman of the Cato Institute's board of directors, and sits on the boards at the Institute for Justice, the Federalist Society, and George Mason Law School. He clerked for Judge Ginsburg on the D.C. Circuit and taught law at Georgetown from 1997-2004. An excerpt of his book is here.

TIME: 4:00 pm
LOCATION: McD 206
Refreshments Provided

Local Constitution Day Events

2010-09-09T10:15:00.000-04:00

September 17, 2010 is Constitution Day. Here is a list of events that members may be interested in:

The Conservative Caucus is hosting an evening event on September 17 featuring a keynote address by Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall. Event details here.

The Cato Institute is holding its 9th Annual Constitution Day conference on September 16. The event offers CLE credits so it will be a great place to meet practicing attorneys. Event details here.

UPDATE: the Cato Institute is allowing students to bypass the $50 registration fee! On the registration page, click 'student/guest' registration to register at no cost. Free lunch will be provided.

The National Archives is hosting a birthday party for the Constitution from 1-2 on September 17. The first 223 guests will receive a piece of birthday cake and meet First Lady Dolley Madison as she describes White House entertainment the early 19th century. This event seems so ridiculous it is almost disrespectful.

Hillsdale College is running an impressive series of webcasts to celebrate the event. Details here.

HAPPY HOUR TONIGHT

2010-09-08T08:14:00.001-04:00

Tonight is our Welcome Back Happy Hour at the Billy Goat Tavern. Beer, soda, hamburgers, and grilled cheese are all free. All are welcome to attend so come out, meet members and learn more about the Federalist Society.

Note: We will be sharing the bar with ACS so expect a crowded scene.

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who came last night. We'll host another event during Spring semester.

Speaker Event This Thursday

2010-09-07T07:20:00.000-04:00

This Thursday from noon to 1pm in McDonough 202, Professor Steven Teles from Johns Hopkins will be speaking on the origins and history of the Federalist Society. Teles is the author of "The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement" which devotes an entire chapter to the Federalist Society. Free lunch will be provided. Teles is not a member of the Federalist Society and there will be plenty of time for Q&A in order to provide an honest and unbiased account of how the Federalist Society continues to shape the legal culture.

Join the Federalist Society through orgsync.com and RSVP for the event. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Time to Join

2010-09-04T07:33:00.000-04:00

Now is the time to join the Federalist Society to get involved this year. You can join the National Chapter for the student rate of $5. The $5 includes a subscription to the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy and invitations to National Chapter events hosted by the Lawyers' Division. You can register through the National site here. National Membership is encouraged but not required to be a member of Georgetown's student chapter.

To join the Georgetown chapter, log on to orgsync.com and request to join the Federalist Society. Anyone is welcome to join and there are no membership dues. We will promptly approve your request to join and will add you to our email list. Email us at the "Contact Us" address below if you have any questions.

NOW HIRING

2010-09-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

Georgetown FedSoc needs incoming students to serve as 1L Section Representatives. Each first year section will have 1-2 people responsible for making in-class announcements about upcoming events and maximizing 1L attendance. This is a great way to take on an early leadership position at Georgetown and enhance your resume. If you are interested, send an email to the address listed above with subject line "1L Rep" discussing why you would be a good fit.

Conservatives v. Libertarians

2010-09-02T07:48:00.000-04:00

Damon Root published a good article in Reason magazine recently that discusses the difference between legal conservatives and libertarians. Those new to Federalist Society might find it useful. Here is one paragraph on the development of legal conservatism:

The most significant early development came with the formation of the Federalist Society. Founded in 1982, the Federalist Society functions as both a legal network, with law student and lawyer chapters around the country, and an academic seminar, sponsoring highly respected conferences and debates that draw top-notch speakers and participants from across the political spectrum. Much of the society’s attention is focused on attracting and nurturing conservative legal talent. That focus has paid off with the placement of several former members in high-ranking government positions, most notably Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a former faculty adviser to the society’s University of Chicago chapter. Since the Federalist Society doesn’t take official positions on public policy questions, its membership is as wide-ranging as the conservative legal movement in general. As a result, even the most conservative member has been exposed to libertarian legal ideas.

The article mentions several time the work of Steven Teles who will speaking to our chapter on September 9 at noon.

Upcoming Event at Cato

2010-08-30T19:55:00.001-04:00

The Cato Institute is hosting a book forum on September 20 featuring Timothy Sandefur from the Pacific Legal Foundation to talk about his new book, "The Right to Earn a Living." Sandefur will be joined by GMU Professor David Bernstein, Clark Neily from the Institute for Justice, and Cato's own Roger Pilon. For those of you new to Washington, Cato events are free of charge and are followed by a complimentary lunch. Please register for the event here. More information on his book can be found here.

Job Opportunity for 3L's

2010-08-30T18:35:00.002-04:00

I was asked to post the following job opportunity for current 3L's:

Pacific Legal Foundation’s College of Public Interest Law offers 2-year litigation fellowships to
graduates interested in rapidly gaining experience in the litigation of major constitutional cases.
The fellowships are open to all graduating individuals of demonstrated high achievement and
offer an exceptional opportunity as a stepping stone to private practice, public agency law, an
academic career, or a permanent position with Pacific Legal Foundation (www.pacificlegal.org).
Applicants accepted for the College of Public Interest Law Fellowship will begin September,
2011.

Fellows will work in the Sacramento, California, headquarters of Pacific Legal Foundation, the
largest and oldest national public interest law foundation litigating in support of private
property rights, environmental balance, individual liberties, limited government, and the
free enterprise system. Each Fellow, guided by an experienced attorney mentor, participates in
hands-on litigation, including lead attorney responsibilities in both trial level and appellate cases,
writes publishable legal scholarship, and attends on-site training for MCLE credit.

Starting salary is $55,000, plus medical, dental, and vision benefits, participation in a 403(b)
savings plan, insurance coverage, and pension.

Applicants must submit a resume and a personal statement explaining why you are interested in
PLF in general, and in a postgraduate fellowship in the College of Public Interest Law in
particular, and also describing what distinguishes you from a typical or average student at
your school.

Applications are reviewed as they are received.

Please send (e-mail preferred) to:

Ms. Tawnda Elling
Hiring Committee Coordinator
Pacific Legal Foundation
3900 Lennane Drive, Suite 200
Sacramento, California 95834
(916) 419-7111
fax (916) 419-7747
attyjobs@pacificlegal.org.

The Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to policies to achieve
equitable hiring, assignment, and promotion practices. The Foundation encourages applications
from all individuals interested in working to promote the principles of free enterprise, private
property, limited government, and freedom of the individual.

Dean Treanor Interview in Washington Post

2010-08-24T09:09:00.000-04:00

New Georgetown Law Dean
William M. Treanor

There was a quick Q&A in the Washington Post yesterday with new Law Dean William Treanor. The interview's substance is pretty basic, but there is this grim statement for those participating in OCI this week: "This is a time that we're seeing a real cutback in hiring by big firms. For the past decade, firms have had people doing work that is routine, repetitious. Increasingly, clients will not be willing to pay associates to do that kind of work, so we'll see more outsourcing and contract employment. So associates will be doing more work that is truly lawyerly work."

Commercial Speech Questions In Virginia

2010-08-24T08:25:00.003-04:00

Those participating in last year's Beaudry Moot Court Competition are all too familiar with the issue of commercial speech. Several of the cases in the competition were related to Virginia speech restrictions and the state continues to make headlines in this area of law. Jenna Johnson at the Washington Post has a story here on whether Virginia can ban campus newspapers from running advertisements mentioning alcohol. The ACLU is assisting a suit filed by newspapers at UVA and VaTech challenging the ban. ACLU of Virginia has petitioned the Supreme Court for review after losing its case in the Fourth Circuit. Central Hudson test anyone?

Happy Hours

2010-08-21T16:57:00.001-04:00

Georgetown Federalist Society is hosting our first happy hour of the year on Wednesday, September 8 from 5:30-7:30 at the Billy Goat Tavern across First Street from Hotung. The happy hour immediately follows the OSL Student Organization fair on campus. All are welcome to enjoy free food, free beer, and free soda.

Harvard Beats Yale

2010-08-18T20:38:00.002-04:00

Supreme Court clerks for the October term were publicly released today and Harvard Law leads the way with 10 alumni. Yale had 9. Cal, Penn and Georgetown are the only T14 schools with no alumni clerks in the fall. Ouch. The confirmed list of clerks is here. To hear Congressmen complain about Harvard and Yale's dominance, go here and scroll forward to about 48:00. Justice Thomas holds his own against an uninformed onslaught from a House Appropriations Subcommittee. It starts to get particularly uncomfortable around the 54 minute mark when Barbara Lee comes after Thomas on the lack of clerk diversity.

No Moratorium for Drilling Moratorium

2010-08-17T07:49:00.000-04:00

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals told District Court Judge Martin Feldman to conduct hearings on both of the administration's drilling moratoriums in order to prepare a final case for the Fifth Circuit to resolve. Bloomberg has a story here. Feldman had earlier blocked the administration's first moratorium, prompting a second drilling ban which some called a carbon copy of the first. The case is Hornbeck v. Salazar. Judge Feldman's first decision is here.

Judicial Elections and the Evils of Democracy

2010-08-16T22:01:00.002-04:00

The Washington Post ran this story today publicizing a recent report from the Brennan Center, the Justice at Stake Campaign, and the National Institute for Money in State Politics on the horrors of state judicial elections.

"The new study shows that total spending in state Supreme Court contests has rocketed from less than $6 million at the start of the 1990s to more than $45 million during the 2008 election cycle. Much of the activity is focused in a handful of states with open elections for their high courts, including Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Texas, the data show.
The spending is driven in part by outside interest groups on the right, such as the Chamber of Commerce and its affiliates, and on the left, including unions and trial attorneys."

On the other side of the issue, Chris Bonneau and Melinda Gann Hall, authors of "In Defense of Judicial Elections" share their thoughts here.

Congressional Clerkship Initiative

2010-08-13T07:28:00.002-04:00

A bill is currently pending in the Senate which could dramatically change legal hiring for the better. A significant movement is under way to create a Congressional Clerkship program to compete with the judicial clerkships that attract so many of the legal community's best students. Georgetown Law Associate Professor Dakota Rudesill is spearheading the effort along with Stanford Law Dean Larry Kramer and numerous GULC faculty and deans. Professor Rudesill has published two good articles on the issue here and here.

The bill passed in the House by an overwhelming majority, and Senate passage is very possible during the lame duck session this Fall. That would mean the program could start hiring as early as Fall 2011 for Summer 2012. Full text of the seven page bill is here.

A conference on the bill is tentatively scheduled for this November at Georgetown so stay tuned for more information.

The Revival of Judicial Activism

2010-08-11T07:05:00.001-04:00

Emily Bazelon at Slate has a good article on judicial activism with respect to the Prop 8 decision in California and the SB 1070 decision in Arizona. Although many conservatives have complained that the judges in the two cases have ignored the will of the people in reversing popular laws, Bazelon concludes, "It's not the job of the courts solely to mirror public opinion. But increasingly over time, since the beginning of the 20th century, they have come into line with it, as Barry Friedman showed in his book, Will of the People." Bazelon argues that once a majority of Americans accepts gay marriage, it will be that much easier for a judge to protect it.

UPDATE: Professor Friedman has agreed to speak on this issue at Georgetown sometime in late October or early November. Details to come.

Amending the 14th

2010-08-10T20:59:00.001-04:00

Some Republicans are causing a firestorm with recent remarks about a movement to repeal the 14th amendment's Citizenship Clause. Linda Chavez has a good opinion piece in the WSJ here. James Carafano at Heritage argues that the Citizenship Clause is worth revisiting here. Garrett Epps takes a different view at the Atlantic here.

Criminal Disenfranchisement

2010-08-04T07:27:00.000-04:00

Journal write on results were announced yesterday and now the Supreme Court itself will address the issue of whether the Voting Rights Act applies to state criminal disenfranchisement laws. Linda Greenhouse has an article on the subject here.

Virginia v. Obamacare

2010-08-03T07:19:00.002-04:00

Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli

In the first substantive legal ruling on President Barack Obama's health care reform law, a federal judge rejected the Justice Department's request to dismiss a lawsuit from Virginia's state government challenging the reform's requirement that individuals purchase health insurance. Politico has a story here. The Jurist has a more detailed article here outlining the subject matter jurisdiction question raised by the Obama administration. A copy of the seven page complaint can be read here.

Death of the Amicus Brief

2010-08-02T07:19:00.000-04:00

An important and growing trend is the rise of cert-stage amicus briefs which seem to have great influence on whether a case reaches the Court's docket. As the number of merits stage amicus briefs has grown, their influence has diminished since the justices (or their clerks) cannot or do not want to read all of them. As Tony Mauro and Marcia Coyle write here, "In the 73 cases that were granted and decided last term by signed opinions, a total of 74 amicus curiae briefs were filed before review or certiorari was granted, up from 66 the previous term and 44 the term before that."

Arizona Enjoined

2010-07-30T07:36:00.000-04:00

The full text of Judge Bolton's order in US v. Arizona is here. The first four pages of the order quickly summarize which provisions of the Arizona law can and cannot lawfully be enforced until a final disposition of the case. The final paragraph of the order concludes:

"A preliminary injunction would allow the federal government to continue to pursue federal priorities, which is inherently in the public interest, until a final judgment is reached in this case.

The Court by no means disregards Arizona’s interests in controlling illegal immigration and addressing the concurrent problems with crime including the trafficking of humans, drugs, guns, and money. Even though Arizona’s interests may be consistent with those of the federal government, it is not in the public interest for Arizona to enforce preempted laws. The Court therefore finds that preserving the status quo through a preliminary injunction is less harmful than allowing state laws that are likely preempted by federal law to be enforced."

Arizona is currently requesting an expedited hearing for its appeal.

The Most Conservative Court Ever?

2010-07-28T20:54:00.001-04:00

The New York Times ran an article last weekend arguing that based on a simplified scoring of the Supreme Court's rulings over the last five years, the Roberts court is "the most conservative one in living memory." The data analyzed show that four of the six most conservative justices of all time are sitting on the current bench, including the most conservative justice of all time: Clarence Thomas. On page 4 of the online version, the article also does a fair job of discussing how public attitudes factor into the discussion of what is a liberal or conservative ruling.

The Future of OCI?

2010-07-28T07:07:00.001-04:00

Not Federalist related, but as EIW approaches, here is an interesting article about law firms reconsidering the structure of on campus interviews and the legal recruiting process.

Miranda Under Pressue

2010-07-14T19:50:00.000-04:00

National Law Journal has a good summary of the Court's three Miranda decisions from last term here including a mild criticism of Scalia's arbitrary14 day rule from Shatzer that both Thomas and Stevens rejected.

Law School Applications Up 7% Nationwide

2010-07-13T19:40:00.001-04:00

The National Law Journal ran an interesting article yesterday focusing on the continuing rise in law school applications. Law school applications increased by 7% and the number of applicants by 3% nationwide for this year's incoming class compared to last year, according to the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). A handful of law schools saw their applicant pools swell by 30% or more. Alabama led the way with a 70% rise in applications.

Is the Electoral College Obsolete?

2010-07-13T19:33:00.000-04:00

The Electoral College has been a staple of American presidential elections since the nation's founding, but it may not be for long: a new legislative effort has been gaining momentum in state legislatures and could soon fundamentally change presidential elections as we know them. A California-based group, National Popular Vote, hopes to convince a critical mass of state legislatures to sign an interstate compact that will dictate a new method of allocating presidential electors: rather than states allocating electors as they do now, NPV wants states to give their electors to the winner of the national popular vote. The compact has been approved in five states (61 electoral votes) and is currently being considered in three other states (46 electoral votes). Three additional state legislatures approved the compact but did not receive gubernatorial approval (62 electoral votes). The compact goes into effect when states holding 270 electoral votes have signed the agreement. At this critical moment in the progress of NPV's legislation,

Last week at Cato, Tara Ross and John R. Koza debated the benefits and detriments of both NPV and the Electoral College. Should the Electoral College be retained? If not, is NPV's solution a good one, or might there be unintended logistical ramifications? Should Electoral College opponents instead go through the formal constitutional amendment process? Video from the event is here.

Republican Confirmation Votes

2010-07-12T07:21:00.000-04:00

The New York Times has an interesting graphic showing how Republican Senators will likely vote on Kagan's nomination. The chart shows Kagan getting a yes from 8 Republicans, three of whom voted against her nomination to Solicitor General.

Justice Thomas To Speak at 2011 National Student Symposium

2010-07-11T08:28:00.004-04:00

The 2011 Federalist Society National Student Symposium is at UVA Law in Charlottesville from February 25-26. For only the second time, a sitting justice will deliver the keynote speech at a Student Symposium. Additional info here.

Conservative (?) Justice Kennedy Not Retiring Yet

2010-07-07T07:36:00.000-04:00

NY Daily News has this story about Justice Kennedy's plans to stay on the Court at least past the 2012 election. Kennedy is the third oldest member of the Court after Ginsburg (77) and Scalia (74).

Kagan Day 3

2010-06-30T07:32:00.000-04:00

The so far uneventful Kagan hearings continue today. For those who cannot watch at work, SCOTUSblog has been running a live blog from the hearing room which you can access here. The Senate Judiciary site has archived materials from days 1 and 2 here.

How Will ObamaCare Affect Young Adults?

2010-06-20T18:19:00.000-04:00

Cato's Summer Intern Lecture Series continues this Thursday at 4pm with a discussion of the new healthcare legislation. Check here for more details. The event is free but registration is required for live attendees. There will also be a webcast available.

Interesting Event in DC on Tuesday

2010-06-19T14:18:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday from 7:30-8:30 at GW Rachel Brand and Walter Dellinger will debate the future of the federal judiciary. Ms. Brand was Assistant Attorney General under George W. Bush and has spoken at Georgetown at past Federalist Society events. Click here for more details on the event.

68 Law Deans Support Kagan

2010-06-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

A letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee signed by 68 law deans encouraging favorable action on Kagan's nomination was made public today by the White House. Georgetown's Interim Dean Judith Areen was one of the signatories. You can read the one page letter and five pages of signatures here.

FedSoc Happy Hour This Wednesday

2010-06-14T07:08:00.000-04:00

Annual Federalist Society Student Division Happy Hour

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Front Page
1333 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington, DC

The happy hour will be an informal gathering of Federalist Society student members working in DC this summer, some local Federalist Society student chapter members, and other friends of the Society (lawyers, national speakers, mentors, staff, and others). It will be a good chance to meet up with fellow like-minded Federalists in DC this summer.

Front page is located about a block from the DuPont Circle Metro Station (South Exit).

Check http://www.frontpagerestaurant.com for driving directions. Also, a parking garage is located next door.

Please help spread the word to other Federalists that you know in DC this summer and see you Wednesday, June 16th.

He Has My Vote

2010-06-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

Clarence Thomas for President in 2012? It sounds crazy, but wouldn't he be the most attractive GOP candidate? This morning's Washington Post has an interesting op-ed on the subject here.

Obama v. BP and the Law

2010-06-11T18:38:00.002-04:00

Josh Gerstein at Politico points out the legal weaknesses in the White House's plan to force BP to pay for lost wages as a result of the WH's sixth month drilling moratorium. Article here. WSJ had a similar article on Wednesday.

Call For Submissions to the Yale Law & Policy Review Symposium On Net Neutrality.

2010-06-09T22:09:00.000-04:00

Special Announcement From Friends at Yale:

The Yale Law & Policy Review has launched Inter Alia, an online companion to the print version of YLPR. The purpose of this site is to serve as a cutting-edge forum for shorter, more informal legal scholarship at the intersection of law and policy that can be published more quickly than in our traditional format as well as a repository for current information on the issues that YLPR highlights in its pages.

We invite you to submit pieces for our latest Symposium, on the topic of Network Neutrality.
As an expert/legislator/litigator deeply involved in the issue, you can offer readers a unique perspective on this emerging field. We hope you'll publish your thoughts with the Yale Law & Policy Review.

Submissions must be no longer than 3000 words, including footnotes. There is also an opportunity to publish shorter, more op-ed style pieces. The editorial staff prefers manuscripts reflecting a more conversational tone and addressing subjects containing even clearer implications for policy than articles and essays that appear in the print volumes. Citation frequency will be less emphasized than in the print version of YLPR, but the rules from The Bluebook (18th ed.) still will apply. All questions about submission procedures and topical guidelines should be sent to inter.alia@yale.edu.

The Inter Alia editors will begin accepting manuscripts for consideration on February 1, 2010. All submissions should be sent to Editor-in-Chief Julia Lisztwan at inter.alia@yale.edu. No manuscripts sent via ExpressO will be considered. Please ensure that the subject line of the e-mail reads: [Author Last Name]: Inter Alia Submission. Inter Alia accepts submissions from any individual regardless of student status or institutional affiliation. The editorial staff looks forward to reviewing all submissions.

Mauro on Bork, Upcoming Georgetown Law Event

2010-06-09T20:42:00.000-04:00

Tony Mauro from National Law Journal recounts his experience interviewing Judge Bork before his confirmation hearings here.

Mauro will also be participating in a Supreme Court term review event at Georgetown Law on July 7:

"Join veteran Supreme Court correspondent Tony Mauro and four top practitioners on July 7 at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington for a discussion of Supreme Court's latest term. Our panel includes lawyers who argued before the court during the 2009-10 session. They'll discuss the institution, top cases and the experience of preparing arguments and appearing before the justices. Panelists include: Michael Carvin, Jones Day partner; Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben; Catholic University law professor Amanda Cohen Leiter; and Sri Srinivasan, O'Melveny & Myers partner. The discussion begins at 3:30 p.m., followed by a wine and cheese reception at 5 p.m." Register online.

The Case for Fiscal Federalism

2010-06-04T08:57:00.002-04:00

Veronique de Rugy and Stefanie Haeffele-Bach have published a very short and important paper on fiscal federalism at Mercatus.

The consequences of the federal government's pervasive funding of state governments are simple: "Instead of competing for residents, states are competing for central government funding and privileges. Such activity breeds wasteful spending and rent-seeking, which are drains on the welfare of American society." California is a perfect example of this problem. The state can bestow lavish public benefits on its citizens and then send the bill to citizens of other states via Washington D.C. In this sense, California is competing for citizens not by prudent fiscal policy, but by costly state giveaways to targeted groups. Our federal system of government should not support such behavior.

For more, Cato has a section on fiscal federalism in its most recent "Handbook for Policymakers."

E.J. Dionne, Constitutional Scholar

2010-06-03T10:07:00.001-04:00

Dionne praises retired Justice Souter's remarks at Harvard on the evils of originalism in this morning's Washington Post. Souter's speech is not as revolutionary as Dionne lets on. Many of the same points, especially the Brown v. Board argument have been raised elsewhere and directly challenged. Interestingly, one of Souter's former clerks has written, "Make no mistake: The best originalist on the Supreme Court is not Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas, but David Souter." If Souter's speech proves anything, it is that his judicial philosophy will continue to vex both conservatives and liberals well into the future.

$20m Donation for New York Law School (not NYU)

2010-06-03T09:12:00.001-04:00

Former AIG Chairman and CEO, and NYLS alum, Hank Greenberg is donating $20m to the school through the Starr Foundation. Details here. The National Law Journal reports that the gift is one of the biggest 20 law school donations of all time.

Georgetown Federalist Society Lifetime Service Award

2010-06-03T08:48:00.002-04:00

Back in April, the Georgetown Federalist Society honored Richard Epstein with our Seventh Annual Lifetime Service Award. His speech from the award ceremony was posted last week on Youtube here. Professor Epstein's remarks will also be published in the forthcoming issue of the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Clarence Thomas, Mr. Popular

2010-06-02T13:58:00.001-04:00

Most Americans cannot name a single justice on the Supreme Court. Thomas (19%) and Roberts (16%) are the most well-known according to this survey.

Chicago Handgun Ordinance Violator Protects Family

2010-06-02T13:37:00.003-04:00

Interesting handgun story out of Chicago as we await the Court's decision in McDonald.

The article from Real Clear Politics is here.

Property Rights Victory in Ninth Circuit Comes Under Fire

2010-06-01T15:27:00.002-04:00

Slate published a lengthy attack on Ninth Circuit judge Jay Bybee and his recent decision in Guggenheim v. City of Goleta which found a city rent control ordinance for trailer parks violated the Fifth Amendment's takings clause. The article's authors filed amicus briefs for the city and are the president and chief counsel of the progressive Constitutional Accountability Center. The case was decided in September but the Ninth Circuit agreed in March to rehear the case en banc. As it stands now, the case is a big win for defenders of property rights, so the rehearing will be watched closely.

The Slate article is here.
The full opinion in the case is here.
Professor Richard Epstein has his say here.

D.C. Lawyers Chapter Lunch with Hon. Anne M. Northup

2010-05-30T08:58:00.001-04:00

The Washington, D.C. Lawyers Chapter monthly luncheon on June 11 will feature Anne M. Northup, Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The event topic is "How the Expansion of Regulation Chokes Economic Growth and Opportunity."

Event Details and Registration Info can be found here.

Biographical Information can be found here.

New Media & The Law Event at GULC

2009-09-14T15:10:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday, September 23, the Georgetown Federalist Society will be hosting a panel event on New Media & The Law at 7 PM in Hart Auditorium.

The panel will feature David Lat from Above the Law, Tony Mauro from the National Law Journal, and Matt Welch from Reason Magazine. Eileen O’Connor, adjunct professor at Georgetown and former reporter and bureau chief at CNN, will moderate.

The event will be followed by a reception.

Come one, come all!

The Federalists were a Bunch of Old White Guys, The Federalist Society is Not

2009-09-14T15:05:00.006-04:00

Georgetown Federalist Society President Eka Akpakip has submitted an article about the Society to the Georgetown Law Weekly. Text of the article can be found below the fold...

The Georgetown Federalist Society is one of the most active student groups on campus and also may be one of the most misunderstood. So just to clarify, the Federalists were a bunch of old white guys, the Federalist Society, however, is not. I should know, considering that I, the chapter President, am neither old, white, or a guy. I am actually quite young, very black, and most certainly a female.

I have started a new paragraph to give you time to recover from the shock. Now let’s move on. Also despite popular belief, the Federalist Society is about ideas NOT about politics. We are a non-partisan, non-profit organization, made up of conservatives and libertarians. The Society agrees on only three broad 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 of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. And no, there is no secret book somewhere containing another set of super secret, right-wing conspiracy principles: this isn’t a movie and I’m not Julia Roberts, so sorry, the Federalist Society really is what it says it is.

So now that we’ve cleared the air and you know that I am not an old, white guy who has hidden a subliminal right-wing conspiracy message in this article, you can read on without fear or malice. But you may now be thinking, well if you aren’t a right-wing conspiracy bent on world domination, then what could you possibly do? I’m glad you asked. The Federalist Society seeks to dispel the myth that there is no such thing as a reasonable conservative or libertarian legal argument. These ideas do exist, whether you hear about them in the classroom or not. And even if you have liberal ideas and decide to live in a nice little bubble where everyone agrees with you and where your ideas and beliefs must be right (left?) because it is the only point of view presented to you, that bubble will eventually burst. There are smart, reasonable conservatives and libertarians in the legal community and just stating the truth about the law as you see it is not going to be enough to win them over and shouldn’t be enough to win in any court of law. The Federalist Society wants other conservatives and libertarians in the legal community to know that are not alone; they also want liberals in the legal community to know that they are not alone.

Everyone, especially every law student, should be forced to figure out why they believe what they believe about how the government should be run and how judges should do their jobs. As a conservative-with-a-dash-of-libertarian at Georgetown, I continually come face to face with people who strongly disagreed with my beliefs about the law, the Constitution, and the role of the judiciary. And every day I have become a better student, with better arguments, because of the opposition I face. So I would like to thank all of those at Georgetown—liberals, conservatives, and libertarians alike—who have engaged me intelligently and helped me strengthen my various conservative and libertarian arguments. So as President of the Georgetown Federalist Society, I’d like to give back to the liberal community here at Georgetown by returning the favor. I urge you to burst the bubble, come to our events, and make your arguments even stronger. I mean, if you were a lawyer at trial and opposing counsel offered to let you take a look at all of their plans and strategies, wouldn’t you jump at the chance?

And now for the shameless plug. On Wednesday, September 23rd at 7 p.m. in Hart Auditorium the Georgetown Federalist Society will be hosting a panel on “New Media & the Law” featuring David Lat from Above the Law, Tony Mauro from the National Law Journal, and Matt Welch from Reason Magazine. The event will be moderated by Eileen O’Connor, adjunct professor at Georgetown and former reporter and bureau chief at CNN. It will be followed by a reception. I think that new media has dramatically changed how events in the legal community are covered, which is re-shaping how the legal community, especially law firms, communicate with their employees and with the outside world. Has it made things worse or better? Is it truly going to make things more transparent? I don’t know, come listen to our panelists and then you decide. Hope to see you all there and thanks for reading.

Professor Nicholas Rosenkranz to Testify re: Sotomayor

2009-07-14T22:02:00.003-04:00

Be sure to tune in to the Sotomayor hearings this Thursday. Georgetown Federalist Society faculty adviser Professor Nicholas Rosenkranz will be testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the role of a judge.

For more information about Professor Rosenkranz, take a look at his bio here.

Ninth Circuit Says Second Amendment Incorporated

2009-04-22T17:24:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, and shortly after visiting our chapter to discuss the prospect of splitting the Ninth Circuit, Judge O'Scannlain authored an opinion holding that the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right "deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition," (quoting Moore v. City of East Cleveland) and thus incorporated against the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The full decision is here: http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/nordyke-ca-4-20-09.pdf

This Week's Events

2009-03-30T10:06:00.003-04:00

Join us Wednesday, April 1 at noon, in McDonough 141 for a discussion on splitting the Ninth Circuit with Judge O'Scannlain. Food will be served, and the Judge will take questions.

Then join us Thursday, April 2 at 3:30, in McDonogh 202 for a debate entitled "Is Stare Decisis Unconstitutional?" The debate will feature Professor Michael Stokes Pausel of the University of St. Thomas and Professor Louis Seidman of Georgetown University Law Center.

Hope to see you all there.