A lunchtime gathering at the Federalist Society’s 2026 National Lawyers Convention offered attendees a chance to meet federal judges over shared interests. The subjects on the table ranged from professional wrestling and college football to judicial careers and “the law.”

The “Lunch & SOC!” session placed judges at tables identified by signs listing their chosen conversation topics. Photos posted on X by The Hill reporter Zach Schonfeld showed an eclectic collection of interests—and several signs with strips of paper affixed over their original text.

Ninth Circuit Judge Kenneth Lee’s table combined “Professional Wrestling and America,” a pairing that fit the convention’s broader theme, “250 Years of American Exceptionalism.” Seventh Circuit Judge Rebecca Taibleson chose “True Crime Media,” while Third Circuit Judge Emil Bove’s sign featured “Off-Grid Living.”

Other judges offered topics more obviously associated with life outside the courtroom. Charles Eskridge listed making mixtapes, Anna St. John chose historical preservation, and Chad Readler’s sign identified college football. John Cronan selected scuba diving, Lee Rudofsky chose world travel, and Matthew Kacsmaryk listed snowboarding.

Several participants, however, appeared to favor shop talk. The signs for judges Holte and Sutton listed running trials and “the law,” respectively. Third Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman’s topic was “The Disparate Roles of District Judges and Circuit Judges,” while Flowers’ sign read “Building a Career Between the Courts.”

Some selections were less specific. Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho’s sign said, “You’ve Got to Have Hobbies.” Fellow Fifth Circuit Judge Edith Jones listed choir music and “random ways to relax,” while Ninth Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke chose “Balancing Work with Faith, Family, and Fun.”

The event’s format gave convention attendees an informal way to approach members of the judiciary, even as the signs blurred the distinction between hobbies and professional discussion. A conversation about scuba diving might begin far from a courtroom; one about the different roles of trial and appellate judges would lead directly back to it.

The Federalist Society’s annual convention brings together members of the conservative legal community for programming on legal and judicial issues. At this lunch, at least, the agenda left room for subjects beyond the law—even if not every judge chose to take it.