During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump made a pivotal strategic commitment to outsource Supreme Court nominee selection entirely to the Federalist Society, a move that would fundamentally reshape the federal judiciary. In March 2016, Trump, campaign lawyer Don McGahn, and Federalist Society …
Donald TrumpLeonard LeoDon McGahnNeil GorsuchBrett Kavanaugh+3 moretrump-judicial-nomineesfederalist-society-vettingleonard-leosupreme-court-outsourcingjudicial-capture+2 more
In 1991, Leonard Leo joined the Federalist Society’s national office, beginning his systematic transformation of the organization’s approach to judicial selection. Leo developed a strategic ‘pipeline’ to identify, nurture, and advance conservative legal talent from law school …
Leonard LeoFederalist Societyleonard-leofederalist-societyjudicial-selectionconservative-legal-movementjudicial-pipeline+1 more
In April 1982, three Yale Law School alumni – Steven Calabresi, David McIntosh, and Lee Liberman Otis – founded the Federalist Society at a pivotal moment in conservative legal thought. Their inaugural conference, funded by the Institute for Educational Affairs and John M. Olin Foundation, featured …
Steven CalabresiDavid McIntoshLee Liberman OtisRobert BorkAntonin Scalia+1 morejudicial-captureconservative-legal-movementsupreme-courtinstitutional-infrastructurelegal-ideology
Yale Law School students Steven Calabresi, David McIntosh, Lee Liberman Otis, Spencer Abraham, and Peter Keisler founded the Federalist Society in 1982 to challenge liberal ideology in elite law schools. With initial funding of $24,000 from the John M. Olin Foundation, the organization created a …
Steven CalabresiDavid McIntoshLee Liberman OtisSpencer AbrahamPeter Keisler+1 morefederalist-societyconservative-legal-movementjudicial-pipelineoriginalismlegal-education+1 more