I am deeply saddened by the passing of Theodore Olson. Ted, as he was known, was a giant in the conservative legal movement. Generations of law students will study his defeat in Morrison v. Olson, as well as his victories in Bush v. Gore and Citizens United. But Federalist Society members, in particular, owe Ted a special debt. He was instrumental in the flourishing of our society. Here, I will relay one small anecdote, that I'm sure many will share.
For years, the Federalist Society has held the student leadership conference every July. In more recent years, the reception has been held at the United States Supreme Court. But in the 2000s, the reception was held at Ted Olson's home in Northern Virginia.
I was fortunate enough to attend the gathering in July 2008, after my second year of law school at George Mason. As I recall, we instructed to park our car at a nearby church, and ride a shuttle bus to Ted's home. (I sat next to a student from Harvard named Sarah Isgur.)
