Who We Are
The New York University School of Law chapter of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservative and libertarian law students interested in the current state of the legal order. We place a premium on individual liberty, traditional values, and the rule of law. We believe that the state exists to preserve freedom, that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it ought to be.
Our Mission
To promote an awareness of these principles within the NYU School of Law community, we organize discussion groups, lectures, debates, and symposia during the school year. Our speakers have included some of the country's leading scholars, thinkers, and jurists, and, of course, several of the Law School's own faculty.
The Federalist SocietyFounded in 1982, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a national organization of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order. We are committed to 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 to promote awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.
In its mission and purpose, the Federalist Society is unique. By providing a forum for legal experts of opposing views to interact with members of the legal profession, the judiciary, law students, academics, and the architects of public policy, the Society has redefined the terms of legal debate.
Our expansion in membership, chapters, and program activity has been matched by the rapid growth of the Society's reputation and the quality and influence of our events. We have fostered a greater appreciation for the role of separation of powers; federalism; limited, constitutional government; and the rule of law in protecting individual freedom and traditional values. Overall, the Society's efforts are improving our present and future leaders' understanding of the principles underlying American law.
