Professor of The Practice of Law
and Executive Director, Center on Law, Ethics and National Security
Scott L. Silliman joined the faculty in September of 1993 and is a Professor of the Practice of Law at the Duke University School of Law, as well as Executive Director of the Law School's Center on
Law, Ethics and National Security. He also holds appointments as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and at North Carolina Central University.
Professor Silliman received his B.A. in Philosophy in 1965 and his J.D. in 1968 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He participated in a four year Air Force ROTC program during his undergraduate days at UNC and was called to active duty as an Air Force judge advocate in November of 1968. During his career as a military attorney, he held a variety of leadership positions, including staff judge advocate (the senior attorney) at two large installations and three major Air Force commands. In his last assignment, as the senior attorney for Tactical Air Command and later Air Combat Command, he was general counsel to the commander of the largest principal organization within the Air Force, with 185,000 military and civilian personnel at 46 primary locations throughout the world. In this capacity, he managed a command law firm of 715 active duty and reserve lawyers, paralegals and civilian support staff. During the Persian Gulf War, he supervised the deployment of all Air Force attorneys and paralegals incident to Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. On August 31, 1993, after 25 years of service, he retired from the Air Force in the grade of colonel to assume his current position at Duke.
Professor Silliman's teaching and research interests focus on national security law (which he teaches at three different law schools within the state), international humanitarian law, military law, and the law of armed conflict. He is widely sought throughout the country as a guest lecturer on the Law of War, and is a frequent commentator on CNN, National Public Radio, and other national radio and television news programs on issues involving military law and national security. In his capacity as Executive Director of the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, he promotes teaching, research and publications in national security law, and sponsors or co-sponsors three major, nationally-recognized conferences each year.
Professor Silliman is a member of the ABA's Standing Committee on Law and National Security, and the Judge Advocates Association, a national organization of active duty, reserve and retired judge advocates from all the services.