LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

    The objective of the newsletter is to fill a void that we have at our law school: a lack of a forum by which persons with varying ideological and philosophical beliefs can engage in intelligent and civil debate. We encourage all students, if you have a sound opinion, to participate in this newsletter. The best way to learn about and how to intelligently and empirically defend a given position is to learn the vantage of the opposing side. Though the members of the Federalist Society share certain conservative/libertarian core beliefs, there are many issues that the members themselves differ on. We are a non-partisan organization, made up of various political affiliations, that subscribes to the notion that the government is founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.

    Along with the printing of this inaugural issue, we also developed a very informative website. If you are interested in submitting a piece to the newsletter visit the site and go to the newsletter page. Everything you will need to know is on that page: guidelines, format, and e-mail addresses. If that is not practical for you then send an e-mail to the Editor-At-Large. The website also has a continually updated list of upcoming events, links to great cites, information about the Society, and a lot more. So, do visit the site and let us know what you think.

    We have created four different categories in the newsletter by which you can submit a piece: (1) Analysis, (2) Opinion, (3) Wall of Fame / Shame, and (4) Letters to the Editor. Those works that fall under Analysis are what we are most interested in. These should be quasi-scholarly (meaning, we are not going to send an article back to you if you have incorrect cites) articles that draw on some authority to buttress your thesis. Opinions are just exactly that, works that do not draw on authority but merely state your opinion. While these submissions are important, it is difficult to debate that which is not based on fact or supported by distinguishing, supporting, or dissenting with some authority. Wall of Fame / Shame are interesting quotes: quotes that are ironic, hypocritical, humorous, or particularly on point. And the fourth category, Letters to the Editor, are letters either in response to the newsletter or that fall outside the scope of what is being discussed in the newsletter. As this is our first effort, we may change, add, or delete some of these categories.

*It should be noted that Wall of Fame / Shame entries are not re-published on the Federalists' Paper website.