As artificial intelligence transforms legal research, could it also replace corpus linguistics as a tool for interpreting statutes and the Constitution?

In the latest installment of the Georgetown Law Federalist Society's Daniel Webster Debate Series, Jack Kieffaber, founder of Garner Ink, and James Heilpern, counsel at Schaerr Jaffe, debate the future of legal interpretation, moderated by Georgetown Law Professor Randy E. Barnett.

The discussion explores the use of large language models in textualism and originalism, the transparency and replicability of corpus linguistics, AI's potential to automate linguistic analysis, and the implications of increasingly sophisticated AI for judicial decision-making. The speakers also consider whether specialized AI models trained on curated historical texts could combine the capabilities of both approaches.

Recorded September 23, 2026, at Georgetown University Law Center. Presented by the Georgetown Law Federalist Society as part of the Daniel Webster Debate Series, in cooperation with the Georgetown Center for the Constitution.

Join the Georgetown Law Federalist Society for The Name Behind the Case: A Fireside Chat with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. Recorded live at Georgetown Law on September 22, 2026.  The event includes remarks from Attorney General Skrmetti and an audience Q&A.

Recorded at Georgetown Law Federalist Society on March 31, Jamil N. Jaffer—Founder and Executive Director of the National Security Institute at George Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School, former Chief Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former senior national security official at the Department of Justice and the White House—dives into the fast-moving intersection of artificial intelligence and national security. Drawing on his experience overseeing intelligence programs, drafting AUMFs, and helping lead a cybersecurity company through rapid growth and a public listing, Jaffer unpacks Anthropic’s role in defense, the Pentagon’s evolving strategy, and current conflict with Iran.