Guest Speaker Series
Explore thought-provoking discussions and insights from distinguished speakers.
Yeonmi Park AT CAPACITY
North Korean Defector
Born in North Korea, Park grew up in a punishing society devoted to the worship of Kim Jong-Il. At the age of 13, she and her family made a daring escape to China in search of freedom. Park and her mother endured severe hardships, including human trafficking. In 2009, they crossed the Gobi Desert to Mongolia, ultimately finding freedom in South Korea. Park recounts her story in her memoir In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom.
Date & Time:
February 19th, @ 6:00 PM in Club Down Under @ Student Union
Jeffrey Rosen REGISTER HERE
President and CEO - National Constitution Center
Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts “We the People,” a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor of law at George Washington University and a contributing editor of The Atlantic. Rosen’s new book, The Pursuit of Happiness, explores how classical writers on virtue inspired the lives of the Founders and defined America.
Date & Time:
February 24th, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Free Book Signing - First 50 People
February 24th, @ 6:00 PM in Club Down Under @ FSU Student Union
Charles C.W. Cooke & Alexander Tsesis COMING SOON
Charles C.W. Cooke | Senior Writer - National Review
Alexander Tsesis | D’Alemberte Chair, Constitutional Law - Florida State University
Charles C.W. Cooke is a British-American journalist and the Senior Writer at National Review, where he provides commentary on U.S. conservatism and constitutionalism. He hosts the Charles C.W. Cooke Podcast and has authored The Conservatarian Manifesto, which examines a blend of libertarian and conservative thought. His work appears regularly in major publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. Known for his rigorous and thoughtful analysis, Cooke became a U.S. citizen in 2018 and resides in Florida, where he focuses on issues of free speech, governance, and civic liberties.
Alexander Tsesis holds the D’Alemberte Chair in Constitutional Law at Florida State University and serves as the general editor for major legal series, including the Cambridge Studies on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. His research covers constitutional reconstruction, civil rights, free speech theory, and legal interpretation. Tsesis has published influential books and articles exploring how constitutional rights evolve within legal and historical contexts. As a professor, he is dedicated to guiding future lawyers and scholars through complex constitutional issues, including the tension between freedom of expression and the regulation of misinformation.
Date & Time:
March 19th, @ 6:00 PM in SSB 201
Beth Akers COMING SOON
Resident Fellow - American Enterprise Institute
Beth Akers is a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she focuses on labor economics and the economics of higher education. Her research has explored student loan debt and its impact on individuals and the economy. Previously, she was a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, the Brookings Institution, and a staff economist with the Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush. Akers co-authored the book Game of Loans: The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt.
Date & Time:
March 25th, @ 6:00 PM in Club Down Under @ Student Union
Jess Bravin & Mollie Hemingway COMING SOON
Jess Bravin | Supreme Court Reporter - Wall Street Journal
Mollie Hemingway | Editor-in-Chief - The Federalist
Jess Bravin is the Supreme Court correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, covering major legal decisions since 2005. He authored The Terror Courts, an analysis of Guantanamo’s military trials, and Squeaky, a biography of a Manson Family member. Bravin has earned the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award and holds degrees from Harvard College and UC Berkeley School of Law.
Mollie Hemingway is the Editor-in-Chief of The Federalist, where she writes on judicial issues, media, and constitutional law. As a Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale College, she mentors students and teaches media-related courses. She co-authored Justice on Trial and wrote Rigged, both bestsellers.
Date & Time:
April 5th, @ 6:00 PM at Word of the South
Glenn Loury COMING SOON
Professor of Economics - Brown University
Loury is the Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences and Professor of Economics at Brown University. He has published extensively on applied microeconomic theory, game theory, industrial organization, natural resource economics, and the economics of race and inequality. Loury hosts The Glenn Show with John McWhorter, often addressing questions of race and education.
Date & Time:
April 7th, @ 6:00 PM in Club Down Under @ FSU Student Union
Marci Hamilton & Denise Harle COMING SOON
Marci Hamilton | CEO - CHILD USA
Denise Harle | Senior Counsel - Alliance Defending Freedom
Marci Hamilton is the Founder and CEO of CHILD USA, a think tank focused on preventing child abuse through research and advocacy. She is also a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. An expert on child sex abuse laws, she has advised U.S. legislators on reforms and authored Justice Denied, which advocates for eliminating statutes of limitations in such cases. Hamilton clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Denise Harle is a Partner at Shutts & Bowen LLP, where she focuses on appellate litigation, constitutional law, and administrative law. Previously, she was Senior Counsel at a national legal nonprofit and served as Florida’s Deputy Solicitor General, handling major constitutional cases. Harle has argued before state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. She was a finalist for a seat on the Florida Supreme Court and currently serves on Florida’s Judicial Nominating Commission for the Second Circuit. She earned her J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
Date & Time:
April 16th, @ 6:00 PM in FSU Law School, Roberts Hall, Room 208