The Federalist Society Student Symposium attracts hundreds of law student members from across the country each year. The conference – which will be held in the spring of 2014 – will address contemporary issues in the perennial debate concerning where to draw lines among security, freedom and privacy.

“We are excited to have the University of Florida chapter hosting our annual student symposium for the first time,” said Eugene Meyer, Federalist Society president and CEO. “Based on our vetting process, the UF chapter’s history of achievement, and their dynamic current leadership, we are very confident that the executive committee will organize and execute a tremendous event.”

With only one exception in the last 32 years, the student conference has been hosted by a law school ranked in the top 15 in the nation.

“Hosting this prestigious event is a great honor for our chapter,” said Devon Westhill, UF chapter president and chairman of the symposium. “We are indebted to the past leaders of the UF chapter, our dedicated faculty adviser Steven Willis, our supportive administration, and the financial support from alumni and friends such as the James Madison Institute for helping to make this possible. This honor demonstrates the University of Florida’s position as a preeminent national institution.”

At the symposium, students are able to meet scholars, network with each other, and attend speeches, panels, and debates on pressing law and public policy issues. Scholars who have recently participated in this annual event have included: U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and Michael Lee, numerous state and federal judges, law school professors, and legal and public policy experts.

The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy is a nonpartisan organization that consists of conservatives and libertarians who seek to promote 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,” according to the Federalist Society website.

Contact:
Vitaliy Kats, Vice President for Public Relations, UF Law Federalist Society Student Chapter
531-371-4411, vitaliy_kats@yahoo.com

Noon

The UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw present, “A Conversation on Same-Sex Marriage,” featuring Professor Richard Esenberg from Marquette University Law School and Professor Rachel Rebouche from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Are there valid secular public policy arguments against the legalization of same-sex marriage? Is the failure to legalize same-sex marriage one example of our society’s discrimination against the LGBTQ community? Will the adoption of same-sex marriage weaken the government’s ability to facilitate and incentivize procreative relationships between heterosexual couples? The UF Federalist Society and OUTlaw present a civil discourse on same-sex marriage. Come out and hear a discussion on secular arguments for and against the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Webcast of the debate is presented below.

John Allison, former President & CEO of BB&T Bank, Professor, Wake Forest School of Business – “Financial Regulation: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”

Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute – “What Role Should Foreign Law Play in Constitutional Interpretation?”

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director, Center for Employment Policy, and Senior Fellow Hudson Institute – “The Victim Myth: Women Don’t Need Affirmative Action”