"...clear and engaging..."
—Los Angeles Review of Books
"Avery and McLaughlin have written an important, highly informative book about the role of the Federalist Society in shaping jurisprudence and public policy over the last 30 years. [...] Recommended."
—Choice
"Michael Avery and Danielle McLaughlin have written a compelling book about how the Federalist Society came to prominence, its tremendous influence in Republican presidential administrations especially in the selection of judges, and its conservative ideology on major issues of constitutional law. It is a story of how ideas, money, and careful planning came together to change the legal landscape. This well-written book is a must read for all who want to understand the conservative movement in law, its views and those advancing them."
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine School of Law
"...illuminating and important..."
—Washington Independent Review of Books
"Much of what The Federalist Society covers will be familiar to readers who closely follow law or politics, but even those readers will find value in its straightforward mix of history, case studies, and legal arguments. For others, it serves as an introduction to a long-term story that has slowly and quietly—but dramatically—changed the American legal system."
—Foreword
"Fascinating, well-written and hard-hitting piece of writing underscoring the importance of the federal judiciary in our democracy. The politicization of the courts is a topic more relevant than ever in these partisan times, and Avery and McLaughlin's concise, incisive style does it justice."
—Nan Aron, President and Founder, Alliance for Justice
"...it's possible, given the volume of information in this book, to reconstruct a thesis about why the Federalist Society was so effective in changing the legal debate in America. [...] With striking clairvoyance, it outlined an incrementalist strategy for narrowing the right to reproductive choice and predicted, accurately, that the expansive jurisprudence of personal autonomy, recognized in cases like Roe v. Wade, might eventually lead to the judicial recognition of gay marriage."
—The New York Times Book Review
"A compelling intellectual history of the rise of the powerful Federalist Society, this is a thoughtful recounting of all the ways in which the group has impacted and influenced legal doctrine, and a roadmap of what's to come should their ascendancy continue. Anyone who cares about the courts or the law will find The Federalist Society a stark reminder of the power of abstract ideas to effect real and lasting change for decades."
—Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor, Slate.com
This is the story of how a group founded by conservative law students at the University of Chicago grew into a powerful national movement that has decisively shifted American courts and politics to the right. Avery (law, Suffolk Univ., Boston) and McLaughlin, a partner in the Boston law firm Nixon Peabody, explore the history of the Federalist Society and its role in the modern conservative movement while explaining the guiding principles and goals of the group. The beginning of the book explores how the Federalist Society helped to shape the Reagan era and came to even greater prominence in the George W. Bush White House as its members took seats on the federal courts and positions in the Justice Department. Each of the next chapters discusses the society's approach to issues such as property rights, affirmative action, gender equality, gay rights, and the U.S. role in international affairs. VERDICT The authors write in plain language and explain the legal terms they use for a lay audience. However, the subject is complex and requires some explanation. Students and serious readers interested in the conservative movement will want to read; casual readers will want something else.—Becky Kennedy, Atlanta-Fulton P.L.
