Welcome to Duke Law School! My name is Brent McKnight, and I am the President of the Duke Law Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat Chapter of the Federalist Society. In addition to welcoming you all to campus, I want to provide a brief introduction to “FedSoc” and tell you about some of our events for the year.
The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies was founded in 1982 as a debate and discussion society promoting awareness of three essential principles: 1) that the state exists to preserve freedom; 2) that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution; and 3) that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to saw what the law is, not what it should be.
Throughout the school year, we host debates, lectures, and discussions featuring top scholars from Duke, other universities, and think tanks from across the country. Our speakers also include judges, public interest litigators, practitioners, and government officials. We bring in top experts to share their experiences and opinions with Duke Law students and answer any questions attendees may have about the topic. Plus, we always have free food at our lunchtime events!
This year, we have already scheduled a number of events on topics such as federalism and marijuana regulation, right to try laws, food labeling and the First Amendment, and the list goes on. Be sure to check out our events page here to see the full list.
Our kick-off and 1L recruitment meeting will be Monday, Sept. 9 at 12:30pm in Room 4047. Joining Duke Law FedSoc makes you part of a nationwide network of over 70,000 lawyers, law students, and academics dedicated to promoting the above principles within the legal community. FedSoc members have opportunities to attend conferences, receive top-notch scholarship published in our journals and magazines, and participate in events with local attorneys in over 100 lawyer’s chapters across the country.
Again, welcome to Duke Law. We hope that you will join Duke Law FedSoc in making Duke an interesting place where ideas are discussed, issues are debated, and students are able to interact with top legal minds from across the country.
All the best,
Brent
dukelawfederalistsociety@gmail.com
