Spring 2024 National Security Reading Group
In this reading group, students explored current, emerging, and unorthodox perspectives at the intersection of national security and the law. Students also scrutinized the logic and limits of a national security approach to regional, transnational, and global challenges from the Russian-Ukraine War to AI and emerging technologies. Students had the opportunity to learn from guest speakers, including academic experts, national security lawyers, and former policymakers.
Wartime National Security Lawyering
This course, taught for the first time in 2015-16, examined current legal issues surrounding covert action and the overt use of military force by the United States since September 11, 2001. Taught by Professor Oona Hathaway with Stephen Preston, who served as General Counsel of the Department of Defense and CIA General Counsel, the course examined national security law from the perspective of a government lawyer who has to make tough decisions regarding how to advise clients as they seek to counter real threats to U.S. national security. The class reviewed the substance of legal issues currently under debate and considered the practical challenges that face a lawyer practicing in the context of ongoing armed conflict. Among the topics covered were the law governing covert action, the bin Laden raid, the President's constitutional powers as Commander in Chief versus Congressional authorization to use military force, the emergence of the threat posed by Daesh (also known as ISIL, ISIS and IS), defining the enemy and associated forces, the American citizen who takes up arms against his country, limitations on U.S. counterterrorism operations under international law, use of remotely piloted aircraft, responsibility for the conduct of partner forces, determining the end of the conflict, and secrecy versus transparency
ASIL/YLS GLC Current Legal Challenges Workshop
The YLS GLC funded an innovative initiative, partnering with the American Society of International Law, to bring lawyers from across the U.S. government working on national security law issues together with relevant outside experts to periodically discuss the most difficult and pressing legal issues facing the U.S. government.
Syria and the Crisis of Global Order Reading Group
Sponsored by the Center for Global Legal Challenges, this reading group explored the Syrian Civil War in order to give participants an in-depth understanding of the regional and global implications of the crisis. The weekly sessions were broken into thematic topics, beginning with the history of Syria and expanding out to cover regional dynamics, international governance, and U.S. strategic issues. The reading group consisted of readings, group discussions, guest speakers, and voluntary student debates, under the supervision of Professor Oona Hathaway.
Cyber Conflict Project
This cross-disciplinary project was a collaboration between Yale Law School and Yale University’s Department of Computer Science focused on legal and technical aspects of cyber conflict. Read student and faculty papers and learn more about this project, supported by a William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Grant, here.