Since 1982, we have helped train conservative and libertarian legal thinkers.

About the Federalist Society

The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians interested in the current state of the legal order. It is founded 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. The Society seeks both to promote an awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.

This entails reordering priorities within the legal system to place a premium on individual liberty, traditional values, and the rule of law. It also requires restoring the recognition of the importance of these norms among lawyers, judges, law students and professors. In working to achieve these goals, the Society has created a conservative and libertarian intellectual network that extends to all levels of the legal community.

Founded in 1982, the University of Chicago chapter of the Federalist Society is one of the original chapters of the Federalist Society. Justice Antonin Scalia, then a professor at the Law School, helped organize our chapter. Each year, we bring speakers to the Law School for lectures and debates in an effort to open and balance the discussion on current, relevant legal issues. The Federalist Society also fosters a tight-knit social community, promoting career mentorship, academic opportunities, and social events among our membership. With nearly 75 dues-paying members and many more who attend our events on a regular bases, the University of Chicago chapter remains one of the most active chapters in the nation.