Shortburst (Spring edition): Celebrate Armed Forces Day and more news!
Today is Armed Forces Day!! In his Proclamation, President Trump said:
How is Armed Forces Day different from other military-related holidays? The USO explains:
In his Proclamation, the President added this observation:
Spring Happenings!
It’s been a busy spring! Of course, regular Lawfire readers have been taking advantage of the opportunity to listen and watch videos of national security experts who spoke at the 30th Annual National Security Law Conference, 28 Feb -1 Mar (check out the presentations here), but there have been plenty of other happenings.
The semester
I had the privilege of teaching a Wintersession course in January (“Legal and Policy Aspects of U.S. Civil-Military Relations”), as well as two classes during the regular semester.
One of these was part two of the Readings in National Security Law seminar. Encompassing six sessions over both semesters, it’s one of my favorite courses.
Although we had a one-time gathering at the Law School to watch a mainstream movie featuring national security issues, we usually met in my home where my wife (Joy) was the hostess. Over food and refreshments, we explored not only the unique aspects of the practice of national security law, but also discussed particular challenges posed by artificial intelligence. This salon-style gathering involved us reading and discussing specific books (fiction and non-fiction) and articles, with a particular focus on ethical challenges.
Lots of great discussion on many topics by an extraordinarily talented group!
I also taught the International Law of Armed Conflict. One of the things I do with all my courses, but which was especially relevant for this class, is to open with an “In the News” section. As you might imagine, with all that is happening in the world, this popular feature of the course prompted no shortage of things to talk about!
One especially interesting aspect of this year’s course was the inclusion of four non-law students, three from the Sanford School of Public Policy, and an undergraduate who audited the course. Their perspectives added to the course. The class turned out to be a terrific interdisciplinary group full of smart and engaging students with great inputs and discussion!
Professor Forbes
At graduation this year, it wasn’t just bidding adieu to students; Professor Marilyn Forbes completed her awesome teaching career. After a fabulously successful private practice career as a mass tort and products liability litigator, Marilyn became a much sought-after professor who taught at various times Negotiation for Lawyers; Legal Interviewing & Counseling; Pre-Trial Litigation; Ethics and the Law of Lawyering in Civil Litigation, and Animal Law.
Among her many accomplishments beyond the classroom was her pro bono representation of an Army veteran whose military bomb-detection dog was separated from him after the soldier suffered a traumatic brain injury. The Army violated its own policy to allow former dog handlers the opportunity to adopt their dogs, and permitted the beloved animal to be adopted by another family.
When the family refused to let the soldier have the dog back, Marilyn filed suit. Suffice to say, with a litigator like Marilyn on the case, the soldier got the dog back that meant so much to him.
We hope to continue to see Marilyn and her husband Tim Phillips at the LENS conference and other events. She will be sorely missed at Duke Law – in the classroom and among her colleagues!
Torch Club
Thanks to an invitation facilitated by my colleague Professor Jim Cox, I had the opportunity to speak to the Durham-Chapel Hill Torch Club. It is the local chapter of an international organization that describes itself as “a highly interactive organization where members participate and discuss stimulating subjects ranging from current events, historical significance, folklore and much more. ”
Its “members are professionals with a broad range of experience creating knowledge expansion with diverse viewpoints.” And, this was a truly impressive group! Their intellectual acumen and interest in current affairs certainly proved to be true when I made a presentation on current national security issues. Using a packed “In the News” presentation uniquely created for the Torch Club, I addressed numerous headline-making issues, and the closing discussion was engaging and really fascinating.
St Louis Symposium
I was also honored to participate in a very interesting symposium entitled “Contemporary Challenges in International Humanitarian Law: Is there Hope for the International Order?” presented by the St. Louis University School of Law. Asked to speak on targeting issues, I made a presentation critiquing the Pentagon’s Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) program.
Though the program has been shut down for now, the policy directive remains in place, as do the statutory reference on which it is based. Since the possibility exists that it may reappear in some form, I explored what the CHMR program had become and suggested some needed reforms if it or something like it is reinstated. The presentation will likely be an article for the St. Louis Law Review. The symposium itself was a wonderful opportunity to see old friends and to make new ones.
Successes!
LENS Undergraduate Liaison Faith Austin, a Robertson Scholar and ROTC cadet who will receive degrees from both Duke and the University of North Carolina, did a brilliant job moderating a space law panel as part of the inaugural Duke Space Symposium at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Faith plans to commission into the US Space Force in May 2027 before attending law school.
National Security Law Society officer and Army Captain Johanna Crisman won Honorable Mention in the Rear Admiral John S. Jenkins Writing Award for Law Students competition, hosted by the National Institute of Military Justice. Johanna’s essay was entitled “Protecting Innocence: The Case for a New UCMJ Article on Child Pornography.”
Johanna — a West Point grad and former Field Artillery officer — just received her degree from Duke Law. After taking the bar exam, she’ll attend the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS), which is located on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, VA.
However, the big news is that Johanna and her husband Brian welcomed their first child, Theodore (Teddy) James Crisman on 24 Feb during Johanna’s last law school semester! Yes, she’s an accomplished multi-tasker!
Former students
It is always great to see former students, and we saw several this spring, including these two serving as judge advocates (JAGs).
Maj Greg Speirs, USAFR, stopped by for lunch last week, and it was a terrific opportunity to catch up. Greg, now in the Reserves, is working virtually full-time as a judge advocate on a special tour of duty – they are lucky to have him!
Interestingly, Greg actually graduated from North Carolina Central University School of Law, but took his national/international security-related courses here at Duke through the Interinstitutional Registration Program. (If his name sounds familiar, see here, here, here, and here).
Another former student we saw this spring was Maj Danny Beaulieu, USAF and his lovely wife Brittany (their two young daughters did not make this trip), Lawfire readers will know Danny from these posts (here and here). In addition, Danny’s LLM thesis is published in the LENS Essay Series (“State Practice and Military Objectives: International Humanitarian Law Regarding Military Applications of Otherwise Civil/Commercial Satellites,).
Danny was back in town for his 10th Reunion after graduating in 2015. What a difference a decade makes! Now Danny is at the front of the classroom teaching as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Law (DFLA) at the United States Air Force Academy.
So wonderful to celebrate the career successes of former students!
Mark your calendar:
