Rodel Institute

Launched in 2022, the judicial fellowship is for federal judges and state supreme court justices. Based off of the rodel fellowship model, the program convenes 18 judges and justices annually for a series of three seminars to study, learn from one another, build trusting friendships, and foster common intellectual ground. These judges (9 of which were appointed by or elected as republicans and 9 of which were appointed by or elected as democrats) meet for three long weekends over two years with the final capstone seminar taking place in the united kingdom. The seminars combine reading-based discussions led by distinguished law professors with workshops focused on leadership and the challenges of judicial work. Rodel judicial fellows read classical legal texts on american democracy from varying perspectives. The discussions are candid and confidential, allowing participants to fully examine their own ideas and explore those of their colleagues.

Founded in 2023, the rodel federal executive fellowship is an intellectual and leadership professional development fellowship for senior-level career civil servants across the federal government's executive branch agencies. Each year, the program selects 20 to 24 exceptional members of the senior executive service (ses), senior foreign service (sfs), gs-15's, and equivalent positions from across federal agencies to come together for a series of three multi-day seminars. Working with expert moderators, the fellows' study and discuss challenging texts on democratic resilience; new technological developments and their impact on governance; and geopolitics. They also engage in practical, relevant leadership training focused on promoting innovation within the context of large government bureaucracies.

Building off the success of the rodel fellowship with the goal of making the impact of rodel more scalable, rodel america was founded in 2022. Rodel america convenes bipartisan groups of state and local leaders from select regions of the nation to participate in leadership development workshops employing the proven rodel seminar model. The program is designed to break down partisan barriers, increase mutual understanding, and create an atmosphere conducive to practical problem-solving. The inaugural local program was based in memphis, tennessee, and the inaugural statewide program was based in washington.

Founded in 2022, the edwards prize is awarded annually to a book published in the prior year that promises to make an outstanding contribution to the understanding and practice of democracy and american politics. The prize is named in honor of marvin henry "mickey" edwards, who has inspired generations of american public servants and students as a member of congress; faculty member at harvard, princeton, and american university; author of multiple scholarly books on the american political process; and founding executive director of the rodel fellowship. In making the selection for the edwards prize, the committee will seek a work that reflects the goals and values of the rodel institute. Excerpts from the winning book will be included as background reading for relevant rodel seminars. The prize will be awarded annually and will carry an honorarium of $10,000. The winner of the prize will be determined by a committee of seven persons comprised of four rodel fellows, the president of the rodel institute, and two outside advisors appointed by the rodel president. In odd-numbered years, the prize will be announced at the main dinner held at the rodel reunion, at which the winner will present a talk. In even years, the prize will be presented to the recipient in conjunction with a rodel university partner who will host a lecture to be delivered by the winner.