WarCriminalsWatch Events

As the 5th anniversary of the passage of the Military Commissions Act
approaches and a few months after the 60th anniversary of the Geneva
Conventions, national security experts, human rights advocates, and
other critical stakeholders continue to debate issues of detainee
treatment.  In the early months of a new presidential administration, it
appears that while some progress has been made, many issues remain
unresolved.  This ACS event examines two such issues.  The first panel
will explore the formation of a detention policy that serves both
national security and human rights obligations.  The second panel
examines the state secrets privilege, a common law doctrine whose
application has arguably impeded access to justice for those claiming
harm while being detained or in other custody of our government.

The October 15, 2009 event will feature a lunchtime keynote address by
David S. Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. 

The first panel, "Justice for Detainees:  A Work in Progress?", will be
held from 10 - 11:30 am and will feature:

*Moderator, Deborah Pearlstein, 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
*Hope Metcalf, Lecturer and Project Director, National Litigation
Project of the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, Yale Law
School

The second panel, "The State Secrets Privilege: A Case for Reform?",
will be held from 1 - 2:30 pm and will feature:

*Moderator, David Cole, 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
*Vincent Warren, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional
Rights
*Ben Wizner, Staff Attorney, ACLU

Lunch will be provided at 11:30 a.m. with keynote remarks beginning at
noon.

Sponsored by the  American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.