The Federalist Society: mission, leadership and finances
Membership organization of conservative and libertarian lawyers, founded in 1982, that hosts debates on the law.
Also known as Fed Soc, FedSoc
Organization
| Founded | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| EIN | 36-3235550 |
| Tax status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | fedsoc.org |
Finances (IRS Form 990)
| Total revenue | $21.5 million |
|---|---|
| Total expenses | $26.2 million |
| Total assets | $49.9 million |
| Tax year | 2023 |
What it does
The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a membership organization of lawyers, law students, scholars and judges. It hosts debates, lectures and conferences, runs student and lawyer chapters, and publishes practice-group materials. It does not litigate or lobby.
The Federalist Society is listed here in the category "Legal". A listing on 4conservative.com describes an organization; it is not an endorsement of it or of its positions.
History
The society was founded in 1982 by law students at Yale, Harvard and the University of Chicago, including Steven Calabresi and Lee Liberman Otis, with Antonin Scalia and Robert Bork as early faculty supporters. It grew into a national network with chapters at most law schools.
The Federalist Society is a legal organization. It is headquartered in Washington, DC. Its IRS tax status is 501(c)(3). Like other organizations in this collection, it is described here from its own published material and from public records, and the facts on this page are limited to what those sources state.
Leadership and funding
The society says it takes no positions on legal or policy issues and presents itself as a forum. Its annual National Lawyers Convention in Washington is its best-known event. Leonard Leo, a longtime executive, has played a prominent role in judicial-selection debates.
The IRS figures on this page come from the latest Form 990 filing that ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer lists for the organization, for tax year 2023: total revenue of $21.5 million, total expenses of $26.2 million and total assets of $49.9 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as Federalist Society For Law & Public Policy Studies. The figures describe a single tax year and can differ sharply from year to year; check the filing itself and the organization's own site for the current picture.
Where it stands
The society's stated founding principles are that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to the Constitution, and that it is the province of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.
These summaries reflect the organization's own stated mission and publicly known activities as of the date below; they are neutral descriptions, not evaluations. Related organizations on this site include The Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom, Pacific Legal Foundation.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026