FedSoc Events

President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court on September 26, 2020. On October 2, 2020, The Federalist Society's Wisconsin Lawyers Chapters hosted a panel with three people who know Judge Barrett well: two former law clerks and a former student.
Featuring:

John Adams, Eimer Stahl LLP
Robert S. Driscoll, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.
Amanda Rauh-Bieri, Miller Canfield
Moderator: Ryan Walsh, Eimer Stahl LLP

*******
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.

On September 25, 2020, the Federalist Society's University of Virginia Student Chapter hosted the first Feddie Night Fight via online webinar. The two contenders engaged in a knockout debate reprising the discussions surrounding the ratification of the United States Constitution.
The Feddie Night Fights are a series of online events hosted by Federalist Society student chapters on the last Friday of the month. Join us on October 30 for the next match.
Featuring:

Prof. John Baker, Georgetown Center for the Constitution
Hon. Andrew S. Oldham, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Introduction: Rachel Daley, The University of Virginia Federalist Society Student Chapter

*******
As always, the Federalist Society takes no particular position on legal or public policy issues. All opinions expressed are those of the speakers.

On September 9-10, 1988, The Federalist Society hosted its second annual National Lawyers Convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on "The Constitution and Federal Criminal Law." The final panel of the convention explored "Equality vs. Discretion in Sentencing."
The U.S. Sentencing Commission recently issued proposed guidelines for federal judges, aimed at producing more uniform criminal sentences in similar situations by the various federal courts. Will this approach lead to greater fairness and consistency for both society and those being sentenced, or will it lessen the capacity ofjudges to fine-tune the sentence to the unique facts of each individual case?
Featuring:

Hon. Stephen Breyer, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
Hon. Ilene Nagel, U.S. Sentencing Commission
Terence MacCarthy, American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section
Moderator: Hon. Frank Easterbrook, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

*******
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.

The creators of the award-winning documentary, They Say It Can't Be Done, in partnership with the Federalist Society's Regulatory Transparency Project, present It Can Be Done Live - a conversation between entrepreneurs, regulatory experts, and noted academics around creative and bipartisan solutions to global challenges to our shared future. The first of four panel events, It Can Be Done Live: The Future of Our Seas took place on September 10th, 2020.
Our oceans are changing rapidly and not for the better. Ocean acidification, rising sea levels, plastic waste, and overfishing are contributing to an unsustainable and unhealthy ecosystem in our seas. Can we find a way to reverse the damage? The panelists will explore the potential of human ingenuity to solve these problems and the conditions necessary to make those solutions a reality. We say it can be done.
Speakers:

Tom Bell, Professor, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, Chapman University
Patrick Reasonover, Producer, They Say It Can't Be Done
Scotty Schmidt, Co-Founder & CEO, Primary Ocean Providers
Julie Friedman Steele, CEO & Board Chair, World Future Society
Moderator: Kimberly Hermann, General Counsel, Southeastern Legal Foundation
Introduction: Nathan Kaczmarek, Vice President & Director, Regulatory Transparency Project and Article I Initiative, The Federalist Society

* * * * *
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.

About The Film:
They Say It Can't Be Done is a documentary that explores how innovation can solve some of the world’s largest problems. The documentary tracks four companies on the cutting edge of technological solutions that could promote animal welfare, solve hunger, eliminate organ wait lists & reduce atmospheric carbon.

On September 10, 2020, The Federalist Society's South Carolina, Nebraska, and Houston Lawyers Chapters hosted a panel with three current Attorneys General of Nebraska, Texas, and South Carolina. The esteemed panel discussed challenges their offices have faced, the role of Attorneys General, how this role has changed over the years, and how they expect it to change in the future in their respective states.
Featuring:

Hon. Alan Wilson, Attorney General of South Carolina
Hon. Doug Peterson, Attorney General of Nebraska
Hon. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas
Introduction: Miles Coleman, Partner, Nelson Mullins; President, The Federalist Society's Columbia, SC Lawyers

* * * * *
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.

On September 1, 2020, the Federalist Society's Wisconsin lawyers chapters hosted their annual conference via an online webinar. The first panel of the conference focused on election law in Wisconsin.
Despite recent Supreme Court decisions addressing key aspects of election law, many questions affecting the vote remain unanswered. What limits does the Constitution put on rules governing maintenance of voter rolls? Following Rucho v. Common Cause, what if anything should policymakers do to address districts drawn through partisan gerrymanders? How secure from hacking are the electronic systems used to count votes? What problems, if any, does "dark money" pose to democratic elections? This panel will address these issues and others related to election integrity with a view to the 2020 presidential election.
Speakers:

Rick Esenberg, Founder, President and General Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
Lester A. Pines, Senior Partner, Pines Bach
Moderator: Ryan Walsh, Partner, Eimer Stahl LLP

*******
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.

On September 9-10, 1988, The Federalist Society hosted its second annual National Lawyers Convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on "The Constitution and Federal Criminal Law." The second day of the convention commenced with a debate over whether the death penalty can be administered constitutionally.
Opponents of the death penalty, including several Supreme Court Justices, argue that, under the evolving moral standards of our society and culture, capital punishment is inherently "cruel and unusual" and therefore unconstitutional. Others argue that the framers passed the injunction against cruel and unusual punishment at the same time as language in the Fifth Amendment directly contemplating imposition of the death penalty, and that if the two could constitutionally co-exist then, they can continue to do so unless a specific amendmentis passed to change the Constitution in that regard.
Featuring:

Prof. Walter Berns, Georgetown University
Prof. Walter Dellinger, Duke University School of Law
Moderator: Judge Patrick Higginbotham, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

*******
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.

On September 1-3, 2020, the Federalist Society's Wisconsin lawyers chapters hosted their annual conference via an online webinar. The second panel of the conference discussed nationwide injunctions.
What is the proper role of state attorneys general and the courts in litigation in seeking to nullify federal law? Panelists will discuss the difference in approach between Wisconsin during the Obama administration and other state's efforts during the Trump administration with a particular emphasis on the role of state AGs and the role of the courts in issuing nationwide injunctions. Are nationwide injunctions "legally and historically dubious," as Justice Thomas has described them?
Featuring:

Jeffrey Mandel, Partner & Co-chair, Stafford Rosenbaum’s Litigation Practice Group
Michael Morley, Assistant Professor, Florida State University College of Law
Misha Tseyltlin, Partner, Troutman Pepper
Moderator: Hon. Rebecca Bradley, Wisconsin Supreme Court

*******
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.

The South Carolina Lawyers Chapter hosted an event on: "Advice and Consent: Mechanics, History, and Developments in Judicial Selection and Confirmation."
Featuring:

Mark Champoux, Partner, Davis, Graham & Stubbs; former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Office of Legal Policy
Prof. Brian Fitzpatrick, Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University Law School
Michael Fragoso, Chief Counsel for Nominations, Senate Judiciary Committee
Hon. Lindsey Graham , United States Senate, South Carolina
Moderator: Miles Coleman, Partner, Nelson Mullins; President, The Federalist Society's Columbia, SC Lawyers Chapter

* * * * *
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.

On September 10, 2020, The Federalist Society's Triangle and Cape Fear Lawyers Chapters hosted a Forum for the upcoming North Carolina Supreme Court elections.
Featuring:

Moderator: Donna Martinez - Vice President of Marketing and Communications, John Locke Foundation

Running for Seat 1/Chief Justice:

Chief Justice Cheri Beasley (D) - North Carolina Supreme Court, Incumbent
Justice Paul Newby (R) - North Carolina Supreme Court

Running for Seat 2:

Judge Lucy Inman (D) - North Carolina Court of Appeals
Judge Phil Berger, Jr. (R) - North Carolina Court of Appeals

Running for Seat 4:

Justice Mark Davis (D) - North Carolina Supreme Court, Incumbent
Sen. Tamara Barringer (R) - Candidate, North Carolina Supreme Court

* * * * *
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.