“Ever since the late 70’s…there has been a focus on utility and efficiency, as concerns like human dignity or the intrinsic value of unspoiled wilderness fall through the cracks,” Tribe said.

Members of ACS said they hope the new group will give the Left a wider voice.

“The idea is to change the terms of the debate,” said David Halperin, the society’s acting executive director and a former White House speechwriter.

“[Conservatives] have been good lawyers, but also good rhetoricians and politicians. They have made it mainstream to espouse views that used to be considered extreme,” Halperin said.

The society is also aimed to counter what Tribe called the prevailing image of liberal or progressive legal scholars.

“There is an illusion that the analytical types on the Left are mush heads, and that we wear our hearts on our sleeves. There is nothing intrinsic about the world that should make this so,” Tribe said.

In order to change this image, as well as shift the national dialogue toward the left, ACS will try to capitalize on the strategy which it said brought the conservatives great success.