Unqualified Ambassadors

In making appointments to the office of ambassador, U.S. presidents often select political supporters from outside the ranks of the State Department's professional diplomatic corps. This practice is aberrational and a source of recurrent controversy, and yet its significance is substantially opaque: How do political appointees compare with career diplomats in terms of credentials? Do they serve in some countries more than others? Have any patterns evolved over time? Please join Ryan Scoville, associate professor of law at Marquette University, to discuss his findings on the above unexplored questions and thoughts for legal reforms, based on his forthcoming article in the Duke Law Journal. A panel discussion featuring Prof. Curtis Bradley of Duke Law and Prof. Michael Gerhardt of UNC Law will follow. Lunch provided. Sponsored by the Duke Law Journal; the Duke Law chapters of the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society; the Duke Center on Law, Ethics and National Security; and the Duke University Program in American Grand Strategy. For more information or any questions, please contact Daniel Lautzenheiser at dl260@duke.edu.