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Law students eager to fight corrosive campus ‘cancel culture’ spreading nationwide
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The Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention kicks off this week in Washington, D.C., where this year’s theme, «New Frontiers,» espouses everything from technological advances and the rise of AI to young people at the forefront of the conservative legal movement — hoping to underscore the importance of open debate, free speech and earnest engagement across the political aisle.
The event will spotlight law students from universities across the country, who are standing up for free speech and viewpoint diversity amid what they say is a rise in «cancel culture,» censorship issues and incidents of campus unrest that have prompted a crackdown on event speakers, or led to ostracization by peers or professors.
The students, who head up their local Federalist Society chapters at law schools across the U.S., face very different obstacles in advocating for free speech and open debate, though some more subtle than others.
As the next generation of lawyers prepares to join hundreds of fellow law students, future peers, and judges in D.C. for Thursday’s conference, each told Fox News Digital that they see the same challenge ahead for young conservatives: not just defending free speech, but redefining it — in an academic environment they say too often punishes dissent instead of encouraging open discussion.
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An image of slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk is placed at a memorial in his honor, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The State Department said it has revoked the visas of several foreigners over negative comments about Kirk’s assassination. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)
Each of the students cited different attempts to intimidate speech or detract from attempts to engage with others in good faith that they’ve encountered — part of a broader pattern playing out at campuses nationwide.
Last month, administrators for New York University Law School canceled a pro-Israel legal scholar, Ilya Shapiro, from speaking at an event hosted by the Federalist Society chapter on Oct. 7.
Administrators had originally suggested that the group postpone the event date, citing concerns of protest and anticipated unrest. The students resisted and insisted on keeping the date, saying instead that relocating or postponing would amount to «giving in to the heckler’s veto.»
Public backlash ensued, and eventually administrators agreed to allow Shapiro to speak at the event as planned.
The unrest has only intensified in recent years, and the students cited instances of attempts to intimidate them or ostracize members, ranging from the subtle to overt.
At the University of Michigan, students gathered outside a Federalist Society event «taking notes of who was coming and going,» said Matthew Holmes, president of the chapter at the University of Michigan School of Law.
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Anti-Israel protesters make their way down Fifth Avenue toward Washington Square Park in New York City on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
«There are groups that tell their members, ‘If you go there, you’re not welcome at ours,’» he added.
Other incidents have targeted Jewish speakers and conservative viewpoints, prompting some to call it a growing culture of intolerance.
«We’re entering a new legal frontier,» said Jordan Holmes, a law student at the University of Texas at Austin, in a nod to this year’s convention theme.
«From AI to the courts, everything’s changing,» said Holmes, who heads up the university’s Federalist Society chapter. «But if people stop talking to each other, that’s when violence starts. We can’t let that happen.»
David Huang, who leads the Federalist Society chapter at Yale, echoed much of the same. Each of the law students separately spoke about the impact of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Kirk was killed while speaking onstage at a university in Utah. His death sent shockwaves across the U.S., and especially on college campuses nationwide, where administrators and students alike cited increased fears of an uptick in violence.
Federalist Society presidents and other young conservatives interviewed after Kirk’s death cited concerns for their own safety and fears of a broader chilling effect if they avoid hosting controversial speakers or events that invite spirited debate.
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A woman holds a sign as people attend a vigil hosted by Turning Point USA for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Colorado State University, on what was supposed be the next stop on his speaking tour, in Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. September 18, 2025. (Cheney Orr/Reuters)
«I think that’s something that struck us all deeply,» Huang said of Kirk’s death, and the environment on campus. «The threat of political violence — especially against conservatives in law school, and college campuses — it’s something that’s very troubling to have in the back of your mind.»
But, he added, those fears were quickly put to rest by an event that the Yale Federalist Society chapter hosted just one day later, focused on the contentious topic of birthright citizenship. «It was one of our most controversial events of the semester,» Huang said. «I was worried. I asked for more security, but things went well, and we actually had the highest attendance we’ve had in years.»
«There’s this sentiment that attendance equals endorsement,» said Holmes.
He said of Kirk, «I think one of his best quotes is, ‘When people stop talking, that’s when violence starts.’ And I see a lot of people that are just unwilling to engage, that they don’t even see the opposition’s ideas of worthy of legitimacy, worthy of acknowledgment.»
At the end of the day, Holmes said, «this idea that I can’t even talk to you because your ideas are so repulsive — that just can’t last if we’re going to have a democratic republic.»
«I think other FedSoc presidents are reporting similar things happening, as people are realizing the importance of channeling our disagreements — into debates, into events, into speech — as opposed to violence.»
To be sure, students say these efforts still have a ways to go.
Still, they struck an optimistic tone about the future. Lamb noted her dean’s leadership and Texas’s political climate, while Holmes pointed to new civil discourse funding at the University of Michigan aimed at bringing students from across the ideological spectrum together for structured, earnest dialogue.
Banners on the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 27, 2025. (Sophie Park/Bloomberg)
«[What’s] so unique about the Federalist Society and its community is that people aren’t cynical towards looking towards the future,» Lamb said. «They’re energized. And in a world that so often tells young people to find something to be outraged about, it’s really refreshing to be around folks and students, attorneys, who are genuinely eager to think deeply about where the law is going and where we should go next.»
«Just this last week, we brought the Attorney General of Tennessee, Jonathan Scrametti, who had just won a landmark Supreme Court case regarding gender transition, surgeries, and chemicals for children,» Huang said.
«People hung up posters, brought them to events, saying Fed Soc invites child killers, and you know, people are well within their rights to express that disagreement — but that kind of irresponsible rhetoric is the sort of thing that raises the temperature in the national political sphere,» he continued.
«And I think we’re all too well aware of the consequences that can follow. How I’d prefer people to express their disagreement is simple,» Huang said. «Come, show up to the event and ask hard questions.»
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That was echoed by each of the students, who will each be participating in this year’s conference in public-facing ways.
The Federalist Society’s student division and rotating student chapter president will host a live event at this year’s conference where they interview judges about a passion, hobby, or interest — and its relation to the law. Holmes and Caroline Martin, the head of the Federalist Society’s chapter at the University of North Carolina School of Law, will host this year’s sit-downs.
The hope, organizers said, is to help personalize judges beyond their day jobs, and drive home the fact that they are people, underneath the strict courtroom procedures and heavy black robes.
«Come to the events, have your ideas challenged,» Holmes said of the Federalist Society chapters nationwide. «Feel free to push back. We really, really want to scrutinize ideas. Because when we do that, that’s when we draw the best conclusions.»
campus controversy,first amendment,donald trump,politics,supreme court
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Mamdani announces new Office of Mass Engagement, says he needed a ‘clean slate’ to govern New York City
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday his first executive order as mayor was meant to draw a line after former Mayor Eric Adams was indicted while also launching a new City Hall office aimed at changing how the public is involved in decision-making.
«In the first executive order, you, as the new mayor of a city, have to sign a continuation of all prior executive orders or a revocation or an amendment of all of them,» Mamdani said during a question-and-answer session focused on what he called the city’s revived Office of Mass Engagement.
Mamdani said his administration chose to continue the executive orders that came before Adams’ 2024 indictment on federal corruption charges, which were later dropped by the Justice Department and dismissed by a federal judge in April.
«And, so, what we did was to sign an executive order that continued every executive order that predated the moment when our former mayor was indicted,» Mamdani said, calling it «a moment when many New Yorkers lost even more faith in New York City politics and the ability of city government to actually prioritize the needs of the public, as opposed to the needs of the person.»
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signs executive orders with campaign volunteers during an appearance at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, Friday, in New York City. The newly inaugurated mayor has revoked a number of executive orders issued by former NYC Mayor Eric Adams, including some related to Israel. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
«And what we will now do is showcase that new era to protect each and every New Yorker and to deliver for those same New Yorkers in a manner that they have not seen under prior administrations,» he added.
The executive order revoked or required reissuance of mayoral directives issued after Sept. 26, 2024, giving the Mamdani administration control over which policies would carry forward.
Mamdani made the remarks as he described the purpose of a new Office of Mass Engagement, which he said is intended to bring together civic outreach work already happening across city government.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signs executive orders with campaign volunteers during an appearance at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Mamdani said the new Office of Mass Engagement will be led by Tascha Van Auken, an organizer whose background includes national Democratic campaigns and New York City’s Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
«Since President Obama’s first campaign in 2008 to her leadership in New York City DSA, Tascha has spent more than a decade organizing at scale,» Mamdani said.
Mamdani credited Van Auken with building the volunteer operation behind his mayoral campaign, saying she mobilized more than 100,000 volunteers who knocked on more than 3 million doors across the city.
«The work of civic engagement has existed before today. It has been a part of city government,» Mamdani said. «However, it has often been siloed in different parts of city government infrastructure, sometimes under different offices, sometimes through different initiatives.
«Part of the intent of this executive order is not just to create a new Office of Mass Engagement, but also to cohere all of the work that is already being done into one place so that we can ensure that it’s not duplicative, and it’s actually fulfilling its intent.»
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani addresses the crowd during his inauguration outside of City Hall on Thursday. (Jason Alpert-Wisnia/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
Mamdani said he wants the new office to change when public engagement happens in the policy process.
«Oftentimes, the outreach and engagement of city government is done with an intention to justify a decision that’s already been taken,» he said. «The point of this office is, however, to make decisions with a large part being what the public actually thinks about those decisions.»
Asked about budget and staffing, Mamdani said the office will initially draw from existing city employees.
«There are a number of employees within this office that are already working for the city, within previously existing offices. And then the specifics of how it will expand beyond that is something that we will be sharing later,» he said.
Mamdani rejected the idea that the office was built around re-election politics, saying it is aimed at «delivering for New Yorkers today, delivering for New Yorkers every single day. … We have an opportunity in this moment where New Yorkers are allowing themselves to believe in the possibility of city government once again. That is not a belief that will sustain itself in the absence of action,» Mamdani said.
Mamdani also pointed to another appointment announcement, saying the engagement office aligns with his decision to name Ali Najimy to lead recruitment and outreach for the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.
«Too often, the ability for a New Yorker to become a judge has been determined by who they know, as opposed to the work that they do,» Mamdani said, adding that the goal is to ensure the judicial system reflects the city and «a commitment to excellence and an application of the law in a universal manner.»
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Najimy said the position would expand recruitment citywide and shape criminal and family court appointments, saying that candidates should be evaluated «on the merits of their experience, their qualifications, their commitment to public service.»
Mamdani said he does not want the new office judged by activity alone.
«We should not be measured on the number of meetings we hold or the number of surveys that are filled out,» he said. «We should, in fact, be measured by the way in which we incorporate that feedback into the decisions that we make.
Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.
zohran mamdani,ericadams,new york city,socialism
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Ukraine orchestrated a fake hit on one of Russia’s enemies who has fought alongside Ukrainian forces, tricking the Kremlin into paying out a $500,000 bounty Kyiv used to fund its war effort.
The subject of the supposed Dec. 27 assassination was Denis Kapustin, also known as «White Rex,» the leader of the right-wing Russian Volunteer Corps, a group fighting for the overthrow of Vladimir Putin, Metro UK reported.
However, Kapustin is alive despite claims from the Ukrainian Armed Forces last week that he was killed by an FPV drone in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
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Denis Kapustin, also known by his pseudonym, «White Rex,» the leader of the right-wing Russian Volunteer Corps, was initially reported to have been killed by a drone strike. (East2West)
«We will definitely avenge you, Denis. Your legacy lives on,» the RVC group wrote on Telegram last week.
On Thursday, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) confirmed this was part of a special operation to save Kapustin’s life and, in the process, earn $500,000.
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Denis Kapustin, also known by his pseudonym «White Rex,» appeared in a video announcing he was alive after Ukraine reportedly orchestrated a ruse to fool Russia. (East2West)
«Welcome back to life,» HUR General Kyrylo Budanov, who heads Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, said while congratulating Kapustin and his team on a successful intelligence operation, News.com.au, an Australian news website, reported.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kapustin founded the RVC to fight alongside the Ukrainian army.
A drone headed toward a vehicle as part of a ruse to fool Russia into thinking Denis Kapustin was killed. (East2West)
The group, which was banned in Russia as a terrorist organization, was known for staging cross-border attacks in Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions. He had twice been sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by kangaroo courts in Russia, The Sun reported.
A still image from a reported drone blast that killed one of Russia’s biggest enemies. (East2West)
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In March 2024, the RVC stormed into Russia and clashed with security forces before capturing Russian soldiers.
Ukraine and Russia are in the middle of peace talks mediated by President Donald Trump. The deal is close, but Ukrainian leaders have said the sticking point remains the issue of disputed territories.
ukraine,russia,wars
INTERNACIONAL
El ejército ruso consolida avances en el este y sur de Ucrania mientras Kiev ordenó evacuaciones en Zaporizhzhia, Chernigiv y Dnipropetrovsk
Las fuerzas de Rusia han consolidado avances en las regiones de Zaporizhzhia y Dnipropetrovsk, en el este y sur de Ucrania, donde sus tropas han intensificado las operaciones militares en los últimos meses. Según un análisis de la agencia de noticias AFP basado en datos del Institute for the Study of War (ISW), el ejército ruso capturó más de 5.600 kilómetros cuadrados de territorio ucraniano durante 2025, lo que representa el incremento anual más significativo desde el inicio de la invasión en febrero de 2022, aunque todavía lejos de los más de 60.000 kilómetros cuadrados ocupados durante el primer año del conflicto.
El avance ruso se ha producido tanto en áreas que Kiev y analistas militares reconocen bajo control de Moscú como en zonas reclamadas por el ejército ruso, lo que ha llevado a un rediseño del mapa de control en el frente oriental e industrial del país. En la región sureña de Zaporizhzhia, los progresos rusos, todavía menos frecuentes que en el este, han mostrado una aceleración en los últimos meses. Rusia ha declarado la captura de nuevos asentamientos en ambas regiones, consolidando su presencia en áreas que en septiembre de 2022 fueron anunciadas como oficialmente anexionadas —junto a Donetsk, Lugansk y Jersón—, aunque sin un control militar total sobre todas ellas.
El conflicto ha mantenido la presión sobre las ciudades ucranianas, con bombardeos y ataques aéreos constantes por parte del ejército ruso. El último ataque contra una zona residencial de la ciudad de Járkov dejó al menos 19 heridos, incluidos un bebé de seis meses, y destruyó bloques de viviendas.
Ante el endurecimiento de los combates y la presión militar en el este y sur de Ucrania, las autoridades ucranianas han ordenado la evacuación forzosa de más de 3.000 niños y sus padres de 44 localidades en primera línea de las regiones de Zaporizhzhia y Dnipropetrovsk, de acuerdo con el ministro de Reconstrucción, Oleksiy Kuleba. Kuleba precisó que estas operaciones de traslado se extienden también a la región septentrional de Chernigiv, limítrofe con Bielorrusia, donde los bombardeos rusos han elevado el riesgo para la población civil.
Desde el 1 de junio, más de 150.000 personas han sido desplazadas desde zonas próximas al frente hacia regiones consideradas seguras, según cifras oficiales compartidas por Kuleba. Entre los evacuados, se cuentan cerca de 18.000 menores de edad y más de 5.000 ciudadanos con movilidad reducida.
La intensificación de los ataques y la situación en el frente han coincidido con nuevos esfuerzos diplomáticos para buscar una salida negociada al conflicto. El presidente Volodimir Zelensky anunció la celebración de una reunión de asesores de seguridad de países aliados en Kiev, a la que asistirán representantes de alrededor de 15 Estados, la Unión Europea (UE), la Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte (OTAN) y una delegación estadounidense que participará de manera virtual. Este encuentro forma parte de una serie de iniciativas orientadas a impulsar un posible acuerdo de paz tras casi cuatro años de guerra.
Zelensky aseguró en un mensaje de fin de año que una propuesta de paz impulsada por Estados Unidos estaría “90 por ciento” concluida, aunque reconoció que el principal asunto pendiente sigue siendo la cuestión territorial. La agenda diplomática prevé también una cumbre de líderes de la denominada “coalición de los dispuestos” que se celebrará la próxima semana en Francia. Estos movimientos diplomáticos tienen lugar mientras Rusia continúa sus operaciones militares y Ucrania enfrenta dificultades en el campo de batalla.
Europa Press/Andriy Andriyenko
En el ámbito político y militar, Zelensky designó al jefe de inteligencia militar, Kyrylo Budanov, como su nuevo jefe de gabinete, tras la dimisión de Andriy Yermak en noviembre en el marco de una investigación por corrupción. Budanov es conocido por su papel en operaciones consideradas audaces contra objetivos rusos y ha consolidado una reputación destacada en el entorno de seguridad ucraniano. Al aceptar la nominación, Budanov declaró que la prioridad seguirá siendo la derrota del adversario, la defensa de Ucrania y la búsqueda de una paz justa. Cuando se formalice su nombramiento, reemplazará a Yermak, quien renunció tras un allanamiento a su domicilio por parte de los investigadores que indagan en un caso de corrupción de alto perfil.
(Con información de AFP)
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