Register now for Duke’s 31st Annual National Security Law Conference!

I’m writing to invite you to attend the 31st Annual National Security Law Conference presented by the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security (LENS) here at Duke Law School on Friday, February 27, and Saturday morning, February 28.  As you may know, seating is limited, so early registration is highly recommended.

(Although the conference is obviously law-oriented, about half or more of the attendees are students and others who are not lawyers.  Speakers generally take that into account in their presentations.)

The conference agenda and registration link are found HERE. Here are several of the topics that will be addressed by the country’s premier experts: 

“National Security Law and Business” (a panel including top ‘big law’ practitioners – see the agenda); “An Update on Space Law and National Security” (Prof Chris Borgen); “Targeting Issues in Cyberwarfare” (Prof Gary Corn); “Nuclear Weapons & the Law of Armed Conflict” (Col Ted Richard, USAF); an “Update on International Criminal Justice” (Prof Mike Newton); and “Ethics and the Practice of National Security Law” (Prof Katie Kedian)

In addition to hearing about those topics, here are some other highlights:

• The annual Leadership Presentation will be a “fireside chat” with Gen CQ Brown, USAF (Ret.), former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and current Executive In Residence at Duke in both the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Pratt School of Engineering. The discussant will be the Hon. Dr. John Hillen, Distinguished Lecturing Fellow at Duke University’s Center for Politics and an Executive-in-Residence of the Political Science Department.  (BTW, both Gen. Brown and Dr. Hillen plan to be among the speakers attending the conference reception for registered attendees on Friday evening).

• Prof. Adam Oler, Associate Dean of Academics, National War College, will kick off the conference with a presentation acknowledging America’s 250^th Anniversary: “The Law, War’s Changing Character, and 250 Years of Innovations.”

• Our Luncheon Speaker on Friday will be Mr. Dean Cheng, Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, who will talk about “The Challenge of China: Lawfare, Technology, and More.”

• Dean Ashley Deeks, Vice Dean of the University of Virginia School of Law, will speak about her new book: “The Double Black Box: National Security, Artificial Intelligence, and Struggle for Democratic Accountability.” 

• We’ll have a “fireside chat” with Dr. Kori Schake, Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and author of “The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States”. We are thrilled to tell you Prof Peter Feaver, one of America’s leading political scientists and Director of Duke’s American Grand Strategy Program, has kindly agreed to be the discussant.

• Prof Raul (Pete) Pedrozo, the Howard S. Levie Professor of the Law of Armed Conflict and professor of International Law in the Stockton Center for International Law at the U.S. Naval War College, and one of the authors of the 2025 edition of the “Newport Manual of the Law of Naval Warfare”, will speak on “Current Issues in Naval Warfare.”

• We’ll have another “fireside chat,” this one with Mr. Ben Kastan, Senior Counsel, Data Protection and Cybersecurity Director, Cyber Legal, Visa, Inc (and Duke Law grad!) on “Cybersecurity Issues.”  Duke Law’s own Prof. Shane Stansbury has kindly agreed to be the discussant.

In addition, we expect selected LENS Scholars (law students interested in national security issues) from about 24 schools from across the country to attend.  You’ll get to meet them not only at the Conference, but also at the Conference Reception Friday evening at the beautiful Washington Duke Inn where you’ll also have a chance to talk with some of the speakers. 

We also hope to again have CLE credit from NC and PA for the conference.  In the past, some attendees have been able to take those approvals and get CLE credit in the home jurisdictions. 

Please understand you must register to attend, and you can do so HERE.  All registrations include admission to the conference, two continental breakfasts, a box lunch on Friday, and admission to the Reception on Friday evening. (If your plans later change and you can’t attend, please let us know as we don’t want to waste food, etc.) 

Bonus: on Thursday, February 26^th from 12:30-1:30 p.m. here at the Law School, we will have a luncheon session on “Careers in National Security Law” (Conference registration for this event is not required, and lunch will be served).  You’ll hear from distinguished practitioners (including Duke grads!) whose careers involved national security matters. 

Hope to see you at the conference and the luncheon!  (Please feel free to pass this notice on to others you know!!!)  

PS:  If you can help support the conference (and especially the Scholars Program), we’d be very grateful (info can be found here)

Again, you can register for the Conference here.

Conference:  https://law.duke.edu/lens/conference/2026