2024 in Review: A Year of Championing the Rule of Law
As we look back on 2024, we are proud to share a selection of our work championing constitutional principles, preserving judicial integrity, and fostering thoughtful discourse on critical issues like DEI.
None of this would have been possible without you—our incredible community of members and donors. With your help, we have made a lasting impact this year.
Please donate today to help us do even more in 2025. Together, we can continue to advance the rule of law and the principles that make America extraordinary. Thank you for your support.
The Constitution Is Good
Many of our most influential institutions and intellectuals challenge the goodness of the Constitution, arguing or assuming that it is inherently bad. Many also criticize recent Supreme Court decisions seeking to faithfully interpret our Constitution. The Society now makes a special effort to highlight the history, significance, and lasting impact of the U.S. Constitution and the success of this uniquely American form of government.
We encourage you to explore the programming and publications listed and linked below, which provide resources about the structural Constitution and examine its relevance today.
Watch:
- The Legacy of the Founders: Originalism and the Constitution [2024 Third Circuit Conference]
- Securing the Rights of a Free People [2024 Freedom of Thought Conference]
- Why the Constitution is Good [2024 Midwestern Conference]
- Challenges to Originalism [Student Division Webinar]
- Constitutions, Elections, and Procedure [2024 National Student Symposium]
Read:
- A Response to the Constitution's Critics
- How Should Historical Gloss Inform Our Interpretation of the Constitution?
- Originalism Is Good for the Common Good
- Torchbearer of the Republic: James Madison’s Fights for Freedom and the Constitution.
- The Rule of Law: Good for All Seasons
- The Invisible American Founding
The Integrity, Legitimacy, and Centrality of the Courts
The Supreme Court and the judiciary in general have been the subjects of many recent controversies.
The Federalist Society strives to present a more accurate picture of the third branch’s role in our constitutional system than what is commonly portrayed in the media. Many of our recent programs distinguish between critiques of and attacks on the judiciary, examine the dangers of threats and slander, and highlight the role of the Supreme Court as an institution that applies legal reasoning, not one that conducts politics by other means.
We encourage you to explore the programming and publications linked below, which provide in-depth analysis and discussion about ongoing attacks on the Supreme Court and the judiciary.
Watch:
- Threats to Judicial Independence and How the Legal Community Should Respond [2024 Third Circuit Conference]
- Attacks Against the Judiciary [2024 Midwestern Conference]
- The Executive Power, the Legislative Power, and the Administrative State [2024 National Student Symposium]
- Do Citizens Still Trust the Democratic Process? [2024 Western Conference]
- SCOTUS Roundup October Term 2023 [SCOTUSbrief]
- Judicial Elections and Free Speech
Read:
- Declaring Independence to Secure Integrity: The Supreme Court Justices' Code of Conduct
- The Judiciary Is Not Just Another Political Branch
- Illegitimate Attacks on the Court’s Legitimacy
- Kannon Shanmugam on the Legitimacy of the Supreme Court
DEI & Identity
DEI’s focus on identity presents a significant challenge to American institutions and to the rule of law.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard made it clear that the institutions that shape our future leaders—selective colleges and universities—run afoul of the U.S. Constitution when they seek to socially engineer our society using racial preferences. Underpinning the decision is the Court’s rejection of the idea that people should be treated differently on the basis of their identity. Higher education is not the only arena that has been affected by diversity, equity, and inclusion ideology and bureaucracy. Various identity-based preferences have become very widespread in business, government, the arts, K-12 education, and many other key institutions, and the applicability of the SFFA decision and its reasoning to these other institutions is still being worked out.
We strive to facilitate dialogue and promote discussion among proponents and critics of DEI, and to help all involved broaden and deepen their understanding of law. We encourage you to explore the programming and publications linked below, which provide in-depth analysis and discussion.
Watch:
- National Lawyer’s Convention on DEI & Identity
- DEI in the Workplace and on Campus Post-SFFA [2024 Third Circuit Conference]
- DEI in the Courts [2024 North Carolina Chapters Conference]
- Race and Education After Students for Fair Admissions [Education Law & Policy Conference 2024]
- How SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC are Changing Higher Education & the Legal Profession [2024 Florida Conference]
- Is There a Business Case for Racial and Ethnic Diversity for Corporate Leadership?
- Military Academies Litigation After SFFA
- Is DEI Legal After The Harvard Case?
- Disparate Impact: Is Equal Outcome the Same as Equal Opportunity?
- Equality and Equity: Contemporary Debates about Civil Rights in the Era of DEI
- Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard [SCOTUSbrief]
Read:
- The Twin Commands: Streamlining Equality Litigation Based on Students for Fair Admissions
- Racially Discriminatory Corporate Policies: Who's Liable?
- Racial Preferences in Economic Benefits: From Widely Accepted to Legally Indefensible
- Self-Evident Truths: The One Sure Foundation for True Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Note from the Editor: The Federalist Society takes no positions on particular legal and public policy matters. Any expressions of opinion are those of the author. We welcome responses to the views presented here. To join the debate, please email us at [email protected].