Federalist Society

{{uspolitics}}
The '''Federalist Society''' is a [[right-wing]] society of "legal" "professionals" and law students. Advocates wish to reform the current order by influencing who will become lawyers, judges, and government officials in the [[United States]] to primarily promote their right-wing views. The Federalist Society specializes in promoting the philosophy of [[originalism]], which ostensibly involves strictly interpreting the law based on their understanding of what the [[Founding Fathers]] wanted. (In practice, though, their ideology has ended up looking very similar to [[culture war]] "conservatism" and the platform of the [[Republican]] party.)<ref name="nyfc"/>

==Positions==
Their positions are unsurprisingly nearly identical to other right-wing organizations, where they get most of their funding. Including the repeal of major portions of:
*[[Civil rights]] laws<ref>[http://www.npr.org/2016/06/09/481393590/for-civil-rights-chief-fighting-for-the-outsider-is-deeply-personal NPR:For Civil Rights Chief, Fighting For The Outsider Is Deeply Personal]</ref>
*[[Roe v. Wade]]<ref name="nyfc">[https://archive.ph/liaiT "How the Federalist Society Won"] by Emma Green, New Yorker, 2022 July 24</ref>
*Labor and employment regulations
*Environmental protections
*Democracy itself, gradually<ref>https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/leonard-leo-federalist-society-courts/</ref>

Although many in the Federalist Society are more aligned with [[libertarians]], the Federalist Society has also provided a cover for lawyers and judges with a more [[theocratic]], [[Religious Right]] oriented ideology.<ref name="nyfc"/> 

==2016 Presidential Election==
[[Donald Trump]] has vowed to delegate his appointment powers to the Federalist Society and movement conservatives without review if elected.<ref>[http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/06/15/3788876/trump-says-will-delegate-judicial-selection-conservative-federalist-society/ Trump Says He Will Delegate Judicial Selection To The Conservative Federalist Society]</ref> To his credit, this is a promise he has largely kept during his subsequent presidency.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-about-land-his-200th-judge-lasting-legacy-poised-reshape-n1231377 Trump is about to land his 200th judge, a lasting legacy poised to reshape U.S. law]</ref> The only qualifications for Trump's judges was being a member of the Federalist Society, despite several being deemed unqualified for their positions.

The effects of this vow can best be seen in the appointment of Supreme Court justices with all three Trump appointees being Federalist Society contributors.<ref>[https://fedsoc.org/contributors/neil-gorsuch contributor Neil M. Gorsuch]</ref><ref>[https://fedsoc.org/contributors/brett-kavanaugh Brett M. Kavanaugh]</ref><ref>[https://fedsoc.org/contributors/amy-barrett-1 Amy Coney Barrett]</ref> Neil Gorsuch was one of  nine Federalist Society–connected members listed on a Federalist Society Supreme Court checklist<ref>[https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/01/how-the-federalist-society-became-the-de-facto-selector-of-republican-supreme-court-justices.html How the Federalist Society became the de facto selector of Republican Supreme Court justices.]</ref> and celebrated his appointment by speaking at a Federalist Society dinner.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/16/neil-gorsuch-federalist-society-speech-scotus-246538 Gorsuch takes victory lap at Federalist dinner]</ref> Brett Kavanaugh followed this trend, celebrating his appointment at a Federalist Society dinner even while protestors rallied at the building holding the event over the sexual assault charges he was accused of.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2019/11/15/779438921/kavanaugh-hailed-at-federalist-society-as-protesters-attempt-disruption Kavanaugh Hailed At Federalist Society As Protesters Attempt Disruption]</ref> The most recent GOP appointee, Amy Coney Barrett, has had connections to the Federalist Society since law school, with colleagues saying she was groomed as a Supreme Court candidate by the Society.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/20/amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court-419219 ‘She’s been groomed for this moment’: Amy Barrett’s Supreme Court preparation began early]</ref>

==Bush Jr. Era==
They were very active in stacking the [[George W. Bush]] administration and federal courts including notable officials:<ref>[http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/federalist-society Right Wing Watch: Federalist Society]</ref>
*Former Attorney General [[John Ashcroft]]
*Former Secretary of the Department of Energy Spencer Abraham
*Former Secretary of the Department of Interior Gale Norton
*Former Solicitor of Labor Eugene Scalia (Supreme Court Justice [[Antonin Scalia]]'s son)
*Former General Counsel of the Department of Education Brian Jones
*Former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson
*Former Solicitor General Ted Olson
*Former Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy Viet Dinh
*Former Inspector General of Department of Defense Joseph E. Schmitz
*Former Asst. Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources Thomas L. Sansonetti
*Former Solicitor General Paul Clement
*Failed presidential candidate [[Ted Cruz]]
*Former Director of National Institute of Justice Sarah V. Hart
*Former Associate White House Counsel Bradford Berenson
*Former Associate White House Counsel Noel Francisco
*[[Samuel Alito]], confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court
*[[John Roberts]], confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court
*Janice Rogers Brown, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
*Miguel Estrada, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit [withdrawn]
*[[Brett Kavanaugh]], confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, later confirmed to U.S. Supreme Court under [[Donald Trump|Trump]]
*D. Brooks Smith, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
*Michael Chertoff, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, currently Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
*William Haynes, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
*Edith Brown Clement, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
*Priscilla R. Owen, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
*Henry Saad, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit [withdrawn]
*Susan Neilson, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
*Deborah Cook, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
*Jeffrey Sutton, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
*David W. McKeague, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
*Diane Sykes, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
*Steven Collonton, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
*Raymond Gruender, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
*Carlos Bea, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
*Carolyn B. Kuhl, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit [withdrawn]
*Jay Bybee, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
*Harris L. Hartz, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
*Michael McConnell, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
*Timothy M. Tymkovich, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
*William Pryor, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
*Thomas B. Griffith, confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit

==See also==
*[[Peter Thiel]] — Right-wing billionaire who was president of Stanford's Federalist Society chapter.<ref>[https://www.independent.org/aboutus/person_detail.asp?id=456 "Peter A. Thiel"]. ''Independent Institute''.</ref><ref>Ryan Mac and Lisa Lerer (February 14, 2022). [https://web.archive.org/web/20231225042226/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/technology/republican-trump-peter-thiel.html "The Right’s Would-Be Kingmaker"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Anti-intellectualism]]
[[Category:Anti-LGBT bigots]]
[[Category:Gun nuts]]
[[Category:Machismo]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Sexism]]
[[Category:Thielsphere]]
[[Category:United States politics]]

Categories: Anti-intellectualism, Anti-LGBT bigots, Gun nuts, Machismo, Organizations, Racists, Sexism, Thielsphere, United States politics