National Security Law Today

The Islamic Republic has imposed a near total blockout of independent information coming out of the Iran. While protestors search for savvy workarounds, the regime only further cracks down with heightened censorship and surveillance. This week, host Elisa is joined by Shervin Taheran, JD Candidate at the Georgetown University Law Center. Through her research with Georgetown’s National Security Tec...

Part 2 of 2 – While many have had their eyes on the midterms and the World Cup, hundreds have been killed during protests in the Islamic Republic. This week, host Elisa continues our Iran series with guest Dr. Roham Alvandi, Associate Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Together they discuss the critical shifts in Iran’s governing structures...

While many have had their eyes on the midterms and the World Cup, hundreds have been killed during protests in the Islamic Republic. This week, host Elisa continues our Iran series with guest Dr. Roham Alvandi, Associate Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Together they discuss the critical shifts in Iran’s governing structures from the coup...

Part 2 of 2 – This week, host Elisa is joined by Iran expert, Ray Takeyh, to discuss the history of Iran's governmental structure and its transition from western ally to enemy. How are the current protests impacting the Islamic Republic's control and influence? And considering Iran's growing affiliations with both Russia and China, is there any hope of recovering a steady U.S./Iran dynamic? Ray Ta...

In 1979, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, was overthrown as a result of the Iranian Revolution, ending centuries of monarchy rule and giving rise to the Islamic Republic. This week, host Elisa is joined by Iran expert, Ray Takeyh, to discuss the history of Iran's governmental structure and its transition from western ally to enemy. How did oil transform Iran's relationship with t...

Known as the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East, this week we begin a multi-part series on the state of Iran. Host Elisa is joined by Brian Egan, Partner at Skadden, to discuss our complicated history with Iran, where it started, and where we stand today. Brian Egan is a Partner at Skadden: https://www.skadden.com/en/Professionals/E/Egan-Brian Brian Egan will be leading a panel on Thur...

It's midterm election season, and on Congress' docket are two bills that will impact how the electoral college is certified. This week, we're revisiting the second half of our conversation with Professor Edward Foley, Director of Election Law at Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law. Ned discusses what a successful election looks like in America and the lessons learned from the milestone c...

Last month, the House passed a bill to reform the electoral college. This week, we're revisiting our conversation with Professor Edward Foley, Director of Election Law at Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law. Ned dives in on how Americans elect our federal officers, and how the law and the courts have ruled on voting; from naming electors to deciding Bush v. Gore in 2000. Professor Edward...

Part 2 of 2 – For nearly 235 years, the U.S. Constitution has provided the foundation for America's economic prosperity, political stability, and democratic debate. This week, host Elisa and Harvey Rishikof welcome former Senator Russ Feingold and Peter Prindiville to discuss their new book, The Constitution in Jeopardy: An Unprecedented Effort to Rewrite Our Fundamental Law and What We Can Do Abo...

For nearly 235 years, the U.S. Constitution has provided the foundation for America's economic prosperity, political stability, and democratic debate. This week, host Elisa and Harvey Rishikoff welcome former Senator Russ Feingold and Peter Prindiville to discuss their new book, The Constitution in Jeopardy: An Unprecedented Effort to Rewrite Our Fundamental Law and What We Can Do About It. Togeth...

Part 2 of 2 – Many of the problems we face today, from recent global recessions to climate change, can be traced back to short term thinking. This week, host Elisa is joined by Ari Wallach, futurist and author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors our Future Needs. Ari acutely notes that we are at a significant turning point in history, one when bold change is needed to lay the groundwork for...

Many of the problems we face today, from recent global recessions to climate change, can be traced back to short term thinking. This week, host Elisa is joined by Ari Wallach, futurist and author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors our Future Needs. Ari acutely notes that we are at a significant turning point in history, one when bold change is needed to lay the groundwork for future generat...

This week we're covering the range of national security related topics that have been making headlines. Host Elisa is joined by Bill Banks to discuss the latest impacts of climate change, Ukraine's comeback, China's elections, and looking back on 21 years since the attacks on 9/11. And stick around towards the end of the episode for NSLT's latest book recommendations! Bill Banks is Chair of the AB...

What makes the world go round? It is increasingly obvious that today the answer is "data" – specifically, data about individuals that companies collect, transmit, and store. Understandably, governments seek access to that data to protect national security and public safety, but such access raises serious privacy concerns, both at home and abroad. This week's episode features an expert panel from o...

Today's media landscape is plagued with division. This week, host Elisa is joined by Chris Stirewalt, former Fox News political editor and author of Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back. Chris joins the cast to discuss how contemporary news outlets are drifting further into sensationalism and "rage revenue" and away from the civic-minded duty of keeping aud...

Where can we expect law and policy regarding national security surveillance to go in the coming years? Where should it go? This week's episode features an expert panel from our CLE conference this past February. The panel gives greater context to these questions, set against growing domestic national security threats from militias, American political extremists, controversies about surveillance th...

There's no denying the gender pay gap. Since 2000, the gender pay gap has held steady at about 20% despite all strides towards equality. Is the glass ceiling still holding strong? This week, host Elisa is joined by Stacey Vanek Smith, co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money, and author of Machiavelli for Women. Stacey brings with her a wealth of data and workplace knowledge, from how to g...

This week, host Elisa is joined by national security experts Seth Jones and Jamil Jaffer to break down the latest national security headlines. How will Ayman al Zawahiri’s death impact Al-Qaeda? Was Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan effective? And while Americans tend to be short term thinkers, what long term strategies can we introduce now in order to bolster semiconductor production here at home?...

This week, host Elisa is joined by former federal prosecutor Joseph Moreno to run through the latest stock of national security news. Is the White House signaling the defense industry to gear up weapons production? Is China behaving well but pretending not to? And why is real estate such an effective money laundering mechanism for Russian oligarchs? Joseph Moreno is the General Counsel and Chief C...

This week is all about climate change, an increasingly undeniable threat to our national security. Host Elisa is joined by committee members Brian Egan and William Banks to discuss what legal authorities are at the disposal of the President to help combat this crisis. What defines an international economic emergency? And domestically, what other authorities can the President utilize to target cert...

As Congress makes advances on a new Chips Act, it is a fitting time to revisit our previous episode on semiconductor production, featuring Intel's Tom Quillin. Twenty years ago, the U.S. held over 37% of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Today, that share has dropped to just 12%. As demand for chips rises, we are faced with a pressing dilemma: rely on other nations for essentia...

This week, Harvey Rishikof hosts Gilman Louie, a Partner at Alsop Louie and former CEO of In-Q-Tel. Together they discuss the latest cutting-edge technologies and how these innovations are changing the global dynamic. What is the current state of U.S. tech dominance in comparison to China? How can we better secure our vulnerable systems? And how are lawyers helping in this pursuit of innovation? G...

This week, host Elisa and Harvey Rishikof are joined by two decorated national security lawyers, Adam Pearlman and Kay Wakatake, to discuss the newly released edition of the U.S. Intelligence Community Law Sourcebook. This sourcebook has long served as a must have resource throughout Congress, the Executive Branch, and private practice. Together, Kay and Adam discuss their roles as Editor and Edit...

(Part 2 of 2) - There is a major flaw in the international shipping industry: the determination of ultimate ownership. This secrecy leads to unfathomable corruption without consequence. This week, host Elisa is joined by award-winning reporter, Matthew Campbell, to discuss his new book, Dead in the Water: A True Story of Hijacking, Murder, and a Global Maritime Conspiracy. The book illustrates the...

There is a major flaw in the international shipping industry: the determination of ultimate ownership. This secrecy leads to unfathomable corruption without consequence. This week, host Elisa is joined by award-winning reporter, Matthew Campbell, to discuss his new book, Dead in the Water: A True Story of Hijacking, Murder, and a Global Maritime Conspiracy. The book illustrates the shocking corrup...