Teaching

Our Commitment to Teaching

The range of topics and issues that fall under the rubric of national security law continues to expand in virtually geometric proportions, especially with regard to the continuing conflict against terrorists. Events that capture daily headlines or become the lead stories on the nightly news have a dramatic and almost instantaneous effect upon national security decision-making. The same intensity of growth is mirrored in the teaching of national security law. In 1984, there were only seven law schools in the country that offered a course in National Security Law, but now over 100 provide such an offering.

Our Center offers a seminar on national security law that covers such wide-ranging topics as the separation of powers in national security matters; presidential war powers; congressional and presidential emergency powers; the domestic effect of international law; the use of military force in international relations; investigating terrorism and other national security threats; prosecuting terrorists; the use of military commissions; and access to national security information in the federal courts.

Also offered is a seminar on military justice that analyzes the Uniform Code of Military Justice both as a criminal code, and a reflection of what the Supreme Court calls the "separate society" of the armed forces.

Beginning in the fall of 2010, the Center expanded its offerings to include a seminar on the Use of Force in International Law which concentrates on jus ad bellum issues. In the spring of 2012 it is expected that the Center will also offer a course on International Law of Armed Conflict which will focus on jus in bello issues. In addition, in the spring of 2012 a seminar entitled American Security Law will be inaugurated.

The Center offers National Security Law at the University of North Carolina, and the Center staff provides guest lectures on national security law and policy topics in undergraduate and graduate classes throughout Duke University, as well as at other colleges and universities throughout the country.

Other Activities

• Encouraging and fostering student research at various law schools in national security law topics.
• Providing expert commentary on national security law and policy issues.
• Lecturing at the service academies, as well as at military installations throughout the country, on operational law and other military-related national security topics.
• Giving guest lectures and other talks on national security law and policy to international, national, regional, state, and local groups.
• Publishing monographs and articles of special interest to scholars and the national security community.
• Providing assistance to and testifying before congressional committees, and assisting individual congressmen in drafting legislation.