LENS’ 31st Annual National Security Law Conference: the attendees speak!

The Center on Law, Ethics and National Security’s (LENS) 31st Annual National Security Law Conference is now in the books, but the feedback from attendees indicates it was a major success. 

Many appreciated not just the speakers’ expertise but also the variety of topics and the way they were presented.  Veteran practitioner Neil Whiteman said:

“I’m very impressed by the quality of the speakers, the breadth of the attendees, and the engagement of the students.  Just WOW!  This is the first conference I’ve ever been to that there was not a single boring moment the entire time.”

I was especially pleased with this year’s cohort of LENS Scholars.  These students, hand-picked by their professors, represented 27 schools from across the country.  You can see some of them in the photo below:

LENS Scholar Samantha (“Sam”) Kiernan from Yale Law generously shared her reactions that, to me, reflected what the Scholar Program aims to accomplish:

I found the experience to be invaluable, and I am taking lessons and insights from the conference back to my classes and work tomorrow! 

While all the speakers were fantastic, I found the conference’s focus on military perspectives to be uniquely valuable. In law school, I have had very few opportunities to hear directly from and speak frankly with current and former military officers, JAGs, and other service members on questions of national security law and policy. Being able to learn from such esteemed speakers and attendees this weekend was an absolute privilege, and it will certainly shape my own perceptions going forward. 

I also greatly appreciated the conference’s embrace of diversity of opinion and respectful disagreement. I hope to dedicate my own career to public service, focusing on foreign policy and national security. As such, I found it inspiring and instructive—especially in the current moment—to see how both civilian and military professionals can debate highly charged issues with respect for each other, senior decisionmakers, and political realities. 

Finally, the other LENS scholars were an absolute delight and highlight of the weekend. Getting to meet other brilliant law students from around the country interested in national security law was such a special experience and an invaluable opportunity to build my peer network. 

Here’s what another LENS Scholar (and Lawfire contributor!) Ikenna Victor Iheuwa from Stetson Law had to say:

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to participate in the 31st Annual LENS Conference as a LENS Scholar. It was a privilege to be in the room and to engage with such an extraordinary community of thinkers and practitioners in the national security space.

I found the conference profoundly impactful. LENS is truly a melting pot of ideas, bringing together leaders whose work many of us aspire to one day contribute to. Having the opportunity to speak with professionals in fields I hope to enter was both motivating and affirming. Being able to listen to candid, high-level discussions on pressing national security issues reinforced why I am drawn to this area of law.

In particular, I found the cybersecurity discussion toward the end of the conference especially thought-provoking….The discussion pushed me beyond the limits of my prior analysis and challenged me to consider broader strategic and ethical dimensions. That intellectual expansion is exactly what platforms like LENS are meant to foster, bringing together emerging scholars and seasoned leaders in a way that deepens understanding and sharpens perspective. For that, I am sincerely grateful.

George Washington Law’s Emily Threlkeld’s provides interesting (and quite helpful!) insights from her perspective as a Scholar new to the LENS conference:

Thursday Scholars Reception: The event on Thursday just for the scholars gave me the opportunity to meet people before attending the conference which definitely made me feel more comfortable in attending the conference and networking. I did not meet a single scholar that did not have an interesting background that I could either connect with or learn from.  

Friday Washington Duke Inn Reception: I liked the ability to chat with panelists after hearing from them for the day and how close the reception was to the law school….   

Friday & Saturday Conference Days: I greatly appreciated the commitment to being on time. The number of panels offered and their scope highlighted several different areas in national security, and even with the wide course offerings at GW, I learned many things that I had not previously known. I nearly filled an entire legal pad with notes on the different subjects.

Lastly, the experience of the panelists was unparalleled to any other conference I have attended….

Many other groups and guests!

Of course, we were also pleased to have many attendees from various groups.  Unfortunately, I can’t acknowledge them all, but I did want to recognize the cadets from VMI’s highly-respected Center for Leadership and Ethics.  After speaking there last year, I was very glad the cadets were able to come to LENS.

As has become something of a LENS Conference tradition, a group of students from Washington & Lee Law attended and took advantage of the opportunity to meet the Conference’s Leadership speaker!

Also, I was very glad to see that, once again, students from Hampton-Sydney’s Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest attended.

Another select group of high-performing students at the Conference was the  Robertson Scholars. 

Here are some notes from one of them, Maggie McGinnis (who is also a Lawfire contributor!):

It was an absolutely exceptional weekend, and your leadership throughout the weekend was truly incredible. I left energized, challenged, and deeply grateful.

The discussion on nuclear issues and the law of war yesterday was especially thought-provoking. Throughout the weekend, I continued to be struck by the depth of [speakers] you brought together…. Above all, I just wanted to express my appreciation for this weekend….  

In addition to students, LENS conference attendees included government, military, firm, independent and in-house attorneys, as well as active-duty military, veterans, former judges and agency employees, law professors, business people, and citizens interested in national security. And, of course, the expert group of speakers who were featured in previous Lawfire posts.  

One unexpected development was the conflict in the Middle East that began on Friday evening of the Conference, and it was obviously top of mind when the conference convened on Saturday.  

Consequently, my colleague, Judge Kim Mueller, Director of Duke Law’s Bolch Judicial Institute, observed how useful it was to hear first thing Saturday morning the fireside chat with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown (now an Executive in Residence at Duke) and Dr. John Hillen, (a combat veteran and successful businessman who is now a Distinguished Lecturing Fellow at Duke). 

Judge Mueller relates:

“Just a note to echo the message I’m certain you’re receiving from all quarters — how impressive the LENS National Security Conference sessions were on Saturday, when I was able to attend.  Hearing from General Brown in discussion with Dr. Hillen first thing was so powerful, and helpful in processing the breaking news overnight.  All the sessions were so good, and ending with the ethics rules and hypos so important.” 

The Ambassadors!

It takes many people to make a conference like this work, and I am also extremely proud of the Duke students who served as LENS Ambassadors.  They welcomed the Scholars and helped with the myriad tasks associated with a conference of this size and complexity.  Special kudos go to 3Ls Jack Lineberry (who coordinated the Ambassadors) and Matt Barry (who was the point of contact for the Scholars).  

The Duke Law team!

I also want to recognize the many hours of hard work of our Conference Coordinator, Ms. Becky Chapman, and my assistant, Ms. Bobbi Pabon.  In addition, Jeff Chilcott and his IT team did yeoman’s work. 

Thank you to all who attended!  It really is your presence and participation — both at sessions and during breaks and receptions — that made the Conference a success!  Those who have served and are currently serving in the national security realm bring a range of experience and expertise to the conference, and I’m grateful for your attendance and interactions.  

While the conference is for everyone, I must say, the presence of so many truly smart students, so eager to deepen their knowledge of national security matters, was positively energizing!  With young people like these preparing to take the reins of our national security enterprise writ large, we can have confidence that our nation will be in good hands.

Build the future. Ensure the future of young leaders in national and international security. Support LENS!

You can easily donate online right here.

Donations are tax-deductible as provided by law.

For further information regarding gifts to LENS, please contact: Ms. Halley House at halley.house@law.duke.edu; or 919-613-8572

You can also write a check to “Duke Law School” with “Donation to LENS” written on the memo line.

You can mail it directly to:

Alumni & Development Records
Duke University School of Law
210 Science Drive
PO Box 90389
Durham, NC 27708

Thank-you!