"The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, as it is formally called, takes its name from the Federalist Papers, the political tract of the founding fathers. Some members are staunch conservatives who believe the "original intent" of the Constitution should guide the law, others are libertarians who champion individual rights and disdain big government.
Most Federalists are practicing lawyers, many based in Washington, who pay $25 annually, as compared with $5 for students, and who attend regular conferences devoted to some aspect of the law. The society's panels scrupulously include liberals as well as conservatives from its own ranks. The Federalists' annual convention is a major event among conservatives."