WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2023 — Top national security legal experts and current and former senior officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, National Security Agency, National Security Council, U.S. Coast Guard and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will gather at the 33rd Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law Conference, Nov. 16-17, in Washington, D.C.
Highlights include two luncheon keynotes:
- Gen. David Petraeus (retired), former CIA director and former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, will discuss “The Evolution of Warfare and Current Conflicts,” at 12:15 p.m. Thursday.
- Jason Matheny, president and CEO of RAND Corporation and former deputy assistant to the president for technology and national security at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will discuss “Emerging Technologies and Existential Risks” at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
What:
33rd Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law Conference
Sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security
When:
Thursday-Friday, Nov. 16-17
Where:
The Westin Washington, DC Downtown (formerly Renaissance Hotel)
999 Ninth St. NW
Washington, D.C.
Program highlights include:
“Private Warriors — Emerging Technologies and the Democratization of Warfare” — The Russia-Ukraine conflict has seen an unprecedented level of private-sector involvement, often enabled by emerging technologies. This panel will explore the legal and policy ramifications of how technology has enabled such a wide array of private actors to participate in armed conflict.
Thursday, 2:15-3:45 p.m.
“The Future of Section 702” — In the 15 years since Congress introduced Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to intercept communications from non-U.S. persons located overseas, the temporary measure has become a core part of intelligence collection. Persistent noncompliance with statutory provisions and judicial requirements designed to protect U.S. persons’ information, however, has heightened tensions around renewal of the core authorities. With the legislation set to expire in December 2023, this panel will delve into various recommendations and legislative proposals working their way through the House and Senate, giving conference participants insight into where things stand in relation to Section 702.
8:45 a.m. Friday
“The National Security Implications of Artificial Intelligence” — Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key feature of technology competition between the United States and China, as well as an important tool in a variety of contexts, including uses of force and cybersecurity. At the same time, the United States and other countries around the world have yet to answer fundamental questions about governance of AI and regulation (or not) of the companies that are generating AI tools. This panel will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities AI poses for U.S. national security as well as the role of domestic and international law in regulating the AI tools.
Friday, 2-3:30 p.m.
“U.S.-China Technology Competition: National Security Innovation, Regulation, IP Theft and Industrial Policy” — The U.S. and the People’s Republic of China are in the midst of a massive competition that cuts at the heart of our economic and national security interests. The question of which nation — or at least which group of nations — rapidly embraces and captures the benefits of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing and high-performance computing, to name just a few, is likely to have a major impact on those nations’ success in the larger ongoing national and economic security competition.
3:45-5:15 p.m. Friday
Other panel topics include:
- “A Conversation with National Security General Counsels”
- “National Security Law and Transnational Repression”
- “Teaching and Practicing Ethics”
- “Secrecy, Classification and the Law”
- “Arctic Security, Climate Change and Law of the Sea”
- “Generative Ethics: The Model Rules and the Practice of National Security Law in the Age of AI”
A complete agenda can be found online, including moderators and speakers. This event is free and open to members of the press. For media credentialing, please contact Jennifer Kildee at [email protected].
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