The Federalist Society
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1776 I Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20006
Recent News About The Federalist Society
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AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Zina Bash and reappointed Evan Young to the Texas Judicial Council for terms set to expire on June 30, 2027, a press release states.
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Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Susan Kelly as Judge of the 54th Judicial District Court in McLennan County, effective January 1, 2021, for a term set to expire on December 31, 2022, or until her successor shall be duly elected and qualified.
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On February 28, 2019, I was honored to speak at the University of Virginia School of Law, at a day-long program sponsored by the UVA student chapter of the Federalist Society, entitled “The Future of Originalism: Conflicts and Controversies.” Congratulations to Jenna Adamson (President of the UVA student chapter), her colleagues, and the participating faculty, speakers, and moderators (including Judges Thomas B. Griffith, Diane S. Sykes, and John K. Bush) for planning and executing a terrific event. At lunch, Clark Neily and I debated the topic “Judicial Engagement v. Judicial Restraint: Equally Compatible with Originalism?” The moderator was UVA Professor Lillian BeVier.
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It is not news that Texas law has long required businesses to respect the terms of their written agreements. Businesses remain in Texas and many new ones are drawn here, in part, because they know they can rely on the written agreements they enter into and expect the rule of law to be applied to everyone.
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I have reminisced at length about my student days at the University of Texas School of Law (here), and also expressed concern about the leftward drift of the Texas Law Review, on whose editorial board I served during 1979-80 (here). Recent events have only heightened my concerns (here). Specifically, on February 7-8, 2019, the TLR is co-hosting (with the left-leaning American Constitution Society) a constitutional law symposium at the law school, entitled “Reclaiming—and Restoring—Constitutional Norms,” that appears to be little more than an anti-Trump political rally. The announcement is here.
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Rarely do challengers of landmark legislation get a second bite at the apple in constitutional litigation. Thanks to some enterprising state attorneys general, however, champions of limited government may have another chance to overturn the signature overreach of the Obama Administration. Six years after Obamacare was initially upheld, opponents of the law (technically “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” or “ACA”) are preparing a second test case, based—ironically enough—on the implausible rationale of the initial ruling.
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My law school years (1977-80) at the University of Texas were, in hindsight, close to idyllic. I loved my first-year professors, tuition at UT was dirt cheap, Austin was a wonderful place to live, and I reveled in the “college town” ambience, which was new to me. (Prior to arriving at UT, I had never attended a college football game. During my first year—when the Longhorns went undefeated in the regular season and Earl Campbell won the Heisman Trophy–I had season tickets on the 50-yard line at UT’s gigantic Memorial Stadium, for a pittance that even a broke law student could afford.) The post-game victory spectacle—honking horns on the Drag and the Tower lit up in orange—formed indelible memories.
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At the University of Texas School of Law, on March 6, 2018 the student chapter of the Federalist Society sponsored a debate on the impact of race-based affirmative action on Asian-Americans. The speakers were noted UT law professor Sanford Levinson (defending racial and ethnic preferences) and Houston attorney Cory Liu, a volunteer with the organization Students for Fair Admissions, speaking in opposition. The speakers eloquently exchanged their views, before an attentive audience of over 100 persons, for nearly an hour, and then opened the discussion up to questions.
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AUSTIN – On Jan. 3, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed and swore in Jimmy Blacklock to the Texas Supreme Court following Justice Don Willett’s confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
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HOUSTON – On Dec. 21, Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC endorsed Katy Boatman of Houston in her campaign for Place 7 on the First Court of Appeals in Harris County and nine surrounding counties.
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AUSTIN – On March 21 Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Ryan Larson of Hutto as judge of the 395th Judicial District Court in Williamson County for a term set to expire at the next general election in November 2016.
