LAW 0984: National Security Law
Spring 2023 • Section 01 • CRN 22862

Course Description

US national security is a vast concept and includes everything from childhood obesity to drug wars between Mexican cartels. This seminar will focus on a specific set of national security threats - those posed to the United States by non-state actors who target US civilians, personnel, and interests with the aim of achieving political change - and examine the legal controversies raised in responding to these threats domestically and abroad. The course will be divided into two parts. Part One will examine legal controversies in constitutional law. This includes the scope of presidential powers in times of heightened national security threats and the separation of powers more broadly. It will also explore the tension between national security and individual liberties during times of crisis. Part Two will shift gears to interrogate the legal controversies raised by irregular combat between the US and non-state actors internationally. This section will be a survey of some of the most pertinent legal issues triggered by the so-called "war on terror", beginning with an exploration of what body of law regulates such non-traditional conflict.

Book List/Materials