Michigan Legacy
The Michigan Law Federalist Society is building a lasting and mission-driven legacy, celebrating the generations of Federalists before us and preparing the chapter for generations to come!
Inaugural Judge Joan L. Larsen Lecture
In 2023, our chapter president, Eric Walker, envisioned an annual endowed lecture series covering trendsetting topics in the law. Thanks to the generous donation of Michigan Law alumnus Michael Huston, we launched the Joan L. Larsen Lecture in January 2025. Going forward, this lecture will be the crown jewel of our chapter's events calendar every year.
We aim to use this lecture as an opportunity to host universally respected jurists, distinguished practitioners, and eminent scholars. Our chapter is working with the law school and Nationals to endow the Lecture so that it can continue annually and become a lasting legacy of this Chapter.
For the inaugural lecture, entitled Classical Legal Theory and the Purpose of History and Tradition, we hosted Harvard Law Professor Adrian Vermeule and Judge Paul B. Matey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Larsen was in attendance, and we honored her with a ceremonial inauguration of the lecture and commemorative plaques.
The event was extremely successful and a full video recording is on our website. A transcript of the remarks is also posted at The New Digest Substack.
Alumni Spotlight
We have showcased and celebrated our alumni by sharing these “spotlights” on our social media and alumni newsletters. We asked alumni to fill out a form where they can share memories from their time at Michigan Law and their favorite FedSoc moments. This trip down memory lane has helped us stay connected with alumni and prompted them to cherish their colleagues years after their time together in Ann Arbor.
And speaking of alumni . . .
Innovation does not mean rejecting the old,
it can also mean embracing the past
Alumni Newsletter The Madison Profile
To better instill that feeling of nostalgia in our alumni and celebrate our chapter's past, present, and future, we updated our alumni newsletter by embracing both the name and feeling of the newsletter. Last academic year, we began regularly distributing our Alumni Newsletter. This year, we revamped it to give it a sleek and vintage look that shows off our school's pride and professionalism. The Madison Profile keeps our alumni base involved with the Michigan Law Federalist community, updates them on the chapter's activities, and raises alumni support for our initiatives.
We capitalized on the generous opportunity granted to us via the Nordstrom Grant by using targeted outreach to alumni and the broader Michigan Federalist Society base.
In just 7 months, we’ve raised over $12,000.
Direct fundraising has allowed us to give our supporters a tangible way to express their faith in our chapter & their investment in its success. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Nationals for this incredible tool, and we strived to fundraise in an innovative and successful way.
Alumni Homecoming at the National Student Symposium
As part of this year’s National Student Symposium, we will be hosting an Alumni Lunch before the first day’s check-in. To fund this event, our chapter secured additional funding from the law school’s Alumni Office to fund this event. The lunch will offer our alumni the opportunity to catch up with old and new friends prior to the two-day National Student Symposium. This lunch is designed to encourage alumni to visit Ann Arbor to attend the Symposium and thank our alumni base for their continued support of the chapter.
Creation of the Judge Chad A. Readler Alumni Award
This year, our chapter is instituting the Judge Chad A. Readler Alumni Award to thank our generous alumni base and recognize those alumni who have most contributed to pursuing the chapter’s objectives. The Alumni Award will be presented annually at our End-of-Year Chapter Banquet to an alum selected by the chapter leadership. The inaugural Judge Readler Alumni Award will be presented on Thursday, April 17, at the law school’s Lawyers Club Lounge in the presence of our chapter and our keynote speaker, Chief Judge William H. Pryor.