As evident by our daily news accounts, September 11 is now part of our cultural, political, and legal landscape. This issue of Insights explores law and culture in an age of terror.

The three feature articles place our legal and political response to September 11 in historical context, explain the United Nations’ role in creating a global plan to fight terrorism, and explore one controversy surrounding the USA PATRIOT Act.

In Perspectives, three experts consider the questions: do current anti-terrorism efforts in the United States compromise civil liberties? Are the compromises necessary? Law Review describes a U.S. Supreme Court case the scope of presidential authority in the war on terror. Learning Gateways asks students to evaluate individual rights in times of war during three specific conflicts: the Civil War, World War II, and the War on Terror.

You’ll also find additional resources, lesson plans to accompany every feature essay, and updates on the National Security Agency wiretapping program with student activities to encourage students to analyze the issues involved in greater depth.

We hope these curriculum resources will help you to examine the legal, political and cultural landscape of law in an age of terror in a balanced manner.