The fourteenth of our bi-annual James Wilson Fellowship classes, co-sponsored again with the Center on Religion, Culture, and Democracy of First Liberty Institute, concluded on Friday, August 9th. We are thrilled to share a brief reflection of the week with you, as a way of celebrating another successful fellowship and our 2025 Summer Class. Having gathered a dedicated cohort of fellows, an esteemed group of scholars, and insightful guest speakers, our 2025 Summer edition continued our mission to provide the premier education in natural law jurisprudence.

The James Wilson Fellowship is the most sought-after, competitive legal educational program in the country. At its core, our program aims to educate the nation’s brightest young lawyers, clerks, and law students in the foundation of Natural Law principles and their role in constitutional deliberation.

The 2025 Summer class, comprised of young lawyers and recent law school graduates, gelled more quickly than any group in memory. We sensed this cohesiveness from the very first seminar and it lasted throughout the week.

Top row, left to right: Gary Dunn, Professor Gerry Bradley, Walker Fortenberry, Eric Heigis, Olivia Lyons, Tim Longfield, Will Baker, Jennifer Psirogiannis, Ashley McWilliam, Kerry Hunt. Bottom row, left to right: Sean Tehan, Dalton Davis, Caleb Morrison, Razi Lane, Professor Hadley Arkes, Ken Lee, Christian McGuire, Gerald Sharpe, Tyler Dobbs.

During the week, our fellows discussed, among other things, "Natural Law & Theology at the Founding," "Natural Law & Ordinary Language," and "Retribution & the Morality of Punishment."

JWI Senior Fellow Justin Dyer Leads a Seminar.

We were privileged to reconvene our esteemed Faculty, whose dedication to our Nation's founding principles and profound knowledge of the Natural Law continues to inspire. The faculty who were veterans of previous fellowships were joined by a newcomer, Professor Adam MacLeod, senior research fellow at the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy.

JWI Co-Directors Hadley Arkes and Gerry Bradley led the majority of the seminar sessions, but we were thrilled to again welcome the irreplaceable contributions of Professor David Forte (Cleveland State Law), JWI’s Senior Fellow Professor Justin Dyer (University of Texas at Austin), Dr. Ryan Anderson (Ethics & Public Policy Center), Professor Daniel Mark (Villanova University), and Professor MacLeod (St. Mary’s University School of Law).

Special events and guest speakers additionally bolstered discussion periods. We were privileged to host for the first time former Solicitor General of the United States and legendary Supreme Court advocate Paul Clement (Clement and Murphy) and James Burnham (King Street Legal, former General Counsel to the Department of Government Efficiency and Clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch). We also were pleased to welcome back Robert Luther, Distinguished Professor of Law at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and former Associate Counsel to the President. Each speaker shared stories from their work in the private and public sphere.

2025 Fellow Will Baker conversing with Professor Hadley Arkes in a Seminar.

While the principal focus of the week is an academically rigorous introduction to the Natural Law, its relevance to American law, and its practical application, fellows are afforded several opportunities to connect with both scholars and peers in more relaxed settings. They are encouraged to grow their professional networks, but, as is often the case, frequently find themselves forming life-long friendships; this cohort was no exception. Early in the week, JWI Managing Director Michael Maibach led a sunset tour of Old Town Alexandria, our setting for the Fellowship. Fellows appreciated the historic walking tour, a staple of our summer fellowship for years now, as a way to dive deeper into the unique backdrop for their experience.

Fellows Listen To JWI Managing Director Michael Maibach on a Tour of Old Town Alexandria.

Our "late night" offerings included an ice cream social, nightcaps, a cocktail hour with alumni and JWI friends, and a discussion of Free Speech Coalition vs. Paxton led by Professor Bradley while enjoying drinks and light fare.

The week concluded with a wonderful dinner at storied Gadsby's Tavern, filled with boisterous laughter, delicious food and heartfelt thanks; we could not have asked for a finer farewell. Yet this is, of course, not "goodbye," but "see you soon!"

James Wilson Class of 2020 Fellow Steve Schaefer, Professor Arkes and 2025 Fellow Kerry Hunt.

We are grateful to all of the 2025 James Wilson Fellows. They join over 200 Fellowship alumni who are defending the absolute truths upon which our country was founded. JWI’s Fellowship Alumni include jurists, practitioners, professors, and law clerks.

More information about our Fellowship can be found Here. We are excited to be accepting applications for our 2026 Winter Fellowship as well through November 7. For more information, please visit Here. 

This Fellowship is only made possible by generous supporters of the James Wilson Institute. If you would like information on becoming a Fellows Patron please email staff@jwinst.org.