LAW 6737

National Security Law

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

In the wake of 9/11, the question of American national security has been at the forefront of legal and political debate. This course will examine the current constitutional framework guiding national security institutions as well as its historical emergence -- especially in the late 19th century and during the early period of the Cold War. We will cover such themes as the allocation of power between Congress and the President on matters of foreign policy and war making, as well as the role of the judiciary in checking the political branches. Special attention will be paid to how key statutes have shaped national security practices, including the National Security Act, the War Powers Resolution, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the Military Commissions Act. The course will also explore such topics as the use of criminal courts for terrorism prosecutions, intelligence gathering and domestic surveillance, and American detention policy (treatment of unlawful combatants and prisoners of war) in the context of international humanitarian law.

When Offered Spring.

View Enrollment Information