Center on Law, Ethics and National Security

The Center on Law, Ethics and National Security was founded at Duke University School of Law on September 1, 1993 by the late Professor Robinson Everett (1928-2009). Everett, a long time member of the Duke Law Faculty and a former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, believed that the law school needed a center that would focus on encouraging and sponsoring education, research and publications concerning national security law topics, as well as conducting conferences and seminars in the national security field. Additionally, as the Center's name implies, it was to provide a focus on national security decision-making from an ethical perspective. It is principally funded by a trust established under the will of Kathrine R. Everett, Professor Everett's mother, who shared his keen interest in establishing the Center at Duke. With regard to governance, the Center's staff receives periodic guidance and direction from an Executive Board which is comprised of distinguished scholars and others who share a common interest in national security law and who have dedicated themselves to the continued growth and success of the Center.