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The Society currently has chapters at 145 BACKGROUND The Society’s name is a reference to the principle of Federalism , as stated in Federalist Paper Number 78: "It can be of no weight to say that the courts, on the pretense of a repugnancy, may substitute their own pleasure to the constitutional intentions of the legislature.... The courts must declare the sense of the law; and if they should be disposeded to exercise WILL instead of JUDGMENT, the consequence would equally be the substitution of their pleasure to that of the legislative body." Therefore, the Society's name is also a reference to the Federalist Papers , a series of articles intended to explain the new Constitution to the residents of New York state and persuade them to Ratify it. A compilation of the Papers, called ''The Federalist'', was published in 1788. The articles were written under the pseudonym "Publius" by James Madison , Alexander Hamilton , and John Jay . Due to the strong influence of James Madison on the Society’s philosophy, the Federalist Society considers Madison to be their patriarch, hence the use of Madison’s silhouette in the Society’s official logo. Madison is generally credited as the father of the Constitution and became the fourth President Of The United States . AIMS AND MEMBERSHIP The Society seeks to promote the Ideology set forth in its "Statement of Principles" through its activities. In working to achieve these goals, the Society has created a network of Intellectual s that extends to all levels of the legal community. The Student Division has more than 5,000 law students as members and, through the national office's network of legal experts, the Society provides speakers for differing viewpoints at law school events. The activities of the Student Division are complemented by the activities of the Lawyers Division, which comprises more than 20,000 legal professionals, and the Faculty Division, which includes many in the academic legal community. Under United States Code , the Federalist Society is legally organized as a Tax-exempt Nonprofit Organization and is expressly forbidden to engage in "political and lobbying activities"[http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=120703,00.html . Members of the society have debated the abolition of the U.S. Securities And Exchange Commission , limiting the power of the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies, and limiting the reach of gender equity laws (Title IX) and voting rights laws. Its publications have printed articles criticizing teaching Evolution and attacking the principle of separation of church and state. The organization also hosts panels discussing recent Supreme Court decisions, the constitutionality of School Vouchers , and the scope of the Commerce Clause . The Federalist Society does not officially lobby and does not litigate cases. The Federalist Society is an organization that seeks to debate constitutional issues and public policy questions, a commitment which extends to inviting speakers who do not agree with the society's principles; past invitees include Justice and Abortion , there is a clear split in opinion between conservative and libertarian Society members. Members The Society has many prominent conservative members, including United States Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia (who served as the original faculty advisor to the organization), Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas , former United States Circuit Court Judge Robert Bork , former United States Attorney General Edwin Meese , fomer United States Solicitor General Ted Olson , Senator Orrin Hatch , and former California Attorney General Dan Lungren . The Society also has many prominent Libertarian s who are members and frequent speakers at Society events, such as Professor Richard Epstein of the University Of Chicago Law School , Professor Randy Barnett of Boston University School Of Law , Bradley Smith, a professor at Capital University Law School who formerly served as Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and Roger Pilon , Director of Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute . Other members include Michael Chertoff , Leonard Leo and C. Boyden Gray . '' later located the Federalist Society Lawyers' Division Leadership Directory, 1997-1998, which listed Roberts as a member of the Washington chapter steering committee, but membership in the Society is not a necessary condition for being listed in the "leadership directory." {Link without Title} Like other private organizations, including the NAACP and the ACLU, the Federalist Society does not publish a membership list or otherwise disclose the identity of its members, preferring instead to let members publicly identify themselves with the Society if they so choose. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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