Officers of the LSU Law chapter of The Federalist Society (from left to right) are Karly Smith, 1L representative; Cole Baxter, vice president; Sydney Britt, president; and Brock McKiness, 2L representative.
The members of The Federalist Society at LSU Law regularly host events to engage students at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center in lively discussions on the leading legal, societal, and political issues of the day. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., The Federalist Society is a conservative and libertarian legal organization that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, and the LSU Law chapter is one of more than 200 at law schools across the country.
“Typically, within higher education, the liberal viewpoint is prominent,” said Federalist Society President and third-year law student Sydney Britt. “We want to open the floor for debate and give people a different perspective if they want it.”
In the spring semester alone, The Federalist Society at LSU Law hosted four legal professionals as guest speakers at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Discussion topics included a textual critique of the Major Questions Doctrine, a discussion about George Washington, a critique on soft-on-crime policies and a conversation about the No-Compelled Speech Doctrine.
While The Federalist Society promotes awareness of conservative and libertarian principles, Britt emphasized that it welcomes and encourages students with differing viewpoints to attend its events and contribute to the discussion. Engaging with and learning from LSU Law students and faculty with varying viewpoints is her favorite aspect of being involved with The Federalist Society at LSU Law, said Britt.
“It’s nice to see everyone come together to dig deep into new topics and learn something new,” Britt said. “I’m so appreciative of LSU Law students and faculty and especially our faculty adviser, Professor Keith Hall, for being so accommodating and supportive of us.”
As she prepares to graduate and move on from her time at LSU Law, Britt said she hopes The Federalist Society chapter at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center will continue to host events that continue to encourage engaging discussions among students and faculty with varying viewpoints.
THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY 2022-23 OFFICERS
Faculty Advisor: Professor Keith Hall
President: Sydney Britt
Vice President: Cole Baxter
2L Representative: Brock McKiness
1L Representative: Karly Smith
