American Constitution Society

On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, ACS sponsored a panel discussion featuring Melvin Urofsky, the author of a new biography of Louis Brandeis, who talked about Brandeis's role in the development of this area of the law. He was joined by two privacy scholars who discussed how the different branches of privacy law have developed and changed over the last century and where the law stands today.

The panel featured:

• Melvin I. Urofsky, author, Louis D. Brandeis: A Life; Professor of Law and Public Policy and Professor Emeritus of History, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Ken Gormley, Interim Dean, Duquesne University Law School
• Moderator, William Marshall, Visiting Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School; William Rand Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law, UNC Chapel Hill School of Law

As the 5th anniversary of the Military Commissions Act approaches, and a few months after the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) hosted a half-day symposium on national security and human rights issues. The symposium included two panel discussions with a diverse array of experts and a keynote address by Assistant Attorney General David Kris.

The morning panel, "Justice for Detainees: A Work in Progress?" featured Deborah Pearlstein, moderator, Visiting Faculty Fellow, University of Pennsylvania Law School; Jameel Jaffer, Director, ACLU National Security Program; Richard D. Klingler, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP; Joanne Mariner, Director, Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program, Human Rights Watch; and Hope Metcalf, Lecturer and Project Director, National Litigation project of the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, Yale Law School.

The keynote address was given by Assistant Attorney General for National Security David Kris. The afternoon panel, "The State Secrets Privilege: A Case for Reform?" featured David Cole, moderator, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center; Amanda Frost, Associate Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law; David Rivkin, Partner, Baker and Hostetler LLP; Co-Chair, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center for Law and Counterterrorism; Vincent Warren, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights; and Ben Wizner, Staff Attorney, ACLU National Security Program.

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) hosted a panel discussion on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military. With the House of Representatives considering the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, and the Senate Armed Services Committee planning to hold a hearing on the topic this fall, the discussion was timely. A group of military experts, advocates and scholars addressed the policy and its alternatives in a lively, frank discussion.