Federalist Society Leader Thanks Liberal Panelists After Ambush

Federalist Society leader Dean Reuter thanked those who represent liberal views at debates hosted by the conservative legal organization, one day after an appeals court judge confronted a co-panelist Georgetown Law professor over his research on judge-shopping.

Reuter, the Federalist Society’s senior vice president and general counsel, said in opening remarks Friday morning at the group’s annual convention in Washington that it’s the organization’s “calling card” to provide debate and discussion on timely legal issues.

Reuter didn’t mention anyone by name, but appeared to be obliquely apologizing for the conduct of Fifth Circuit Judge Edith Jones, who one day earlier had sharply rebuked Georgetown Law professor Stephen Vladeck as the two sat on a panel about independence of the judiciary.

Jones’ sharp criticism of her fellow panelist was all the more notable because the Federalist Society prides itself on inviting contrarian voices, such as former ACLU President Nadine Strossen, to speak at its events.

Hours after the Jones-Vladeck confrontation, retired liberal US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, joined Justice Neil Gorsuch in a discussion on stage at the convention’s gala dinner.

“Of course we’re only able to have debate and discussion if we can get people of divergent views to join our convention. So, my particular thanks and gratitude to those with divergent views that continue to show up at Federalist Society events. We couldn’t stay true to our form without them,” he said.

Vladeck studies judge-shopping, or the practice of filing lawsuits in single-judge court divisions seen as favorable to the litigant, and had argued that efforts to curb that practice don’t undermine judicial independence. Jones claimed that criticisms of the judiciary “are ultimately attacks on the rule of law” and referenced Vladeck by name multiple times as one of the judiciary’s attackers.

Vladeck described the exchange as “rather unfortunate” and “not the kind of debate that I thought the Federalist Society was interested in sponsoring.”