The George Washington Law Review successfully hosted its annual symposium on the Law of U.S. Foreign Relations. This year's symposium, cosponsored by the American Society for International Law, was planned in conjunction with Professors Sean D. Murphy and Edward T. Swaine.
Professor Harold Hongju Koh, Yale Law School, delivered a rousing keynote address, The 21st Century National Security Constitution, which addressed contemporary challenges at the intersection of foreign relations, national security, and constitutional law.
Ashley S. Deeks, University of Virginia School of Law, moderated Panel I: Structural Aspects of U.S. Foreign Relations Law, which featured a lively discussion and debate from Jean Gaibraith, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Jide Nzelibe, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; and Michael Ramsey, University of San Diego School of Law. The panel discussed how foreign affairs power is allocated among the three branches of government.
Following Panel I, symposium attendees were able to observe the Brand-Manatt Lecture. The lecture, entitled International and National Security Law Challenges for the Biden Administration, was delivered by Honorable John B. Bellinger III. Mr. Bellinger is currently a partner at Arnold & Porter and previously held several senior presidential appointments in the U.S. government, including as the Senate-confirmed Legal Adviser to the Department of State and Senior Associate Counsel to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council at the White House. Mr. Bellinger discussed Russia's war on Ukraine, human rights abuses in China against the Uighur population, China's international law violations in the South China Sea, and the situations in Afghanistan and Iran, among other topics, and recommended ways the United States can improve its current approach to these matters.
Carlos M. Vázquez, Georgetown University Law Center moderated Panel II: Judging U.S. Foreign Relations Law. This panel featured another in-depth discussion between its distinguised panelists: Curtis A. Bradley, University of Chicago Law School; Maggie Gardner, Cornell Law School; and Ingrid Wuerth, Vanderbilt Law School. This panel focused on U.S. courts and their proper role in adjudicating questions of foreign relations law.
The symposium concluded with a "Fireside Chat," moderated by Professor Murphy and Professor Swaine. The chat featured a rapid-fire, back-and-forth Q&A session which featured distinguished panelists: Laura A. Dickinson, GW Law; Darin Johnson, Howard University School of Law; Paul Stephan, University of Virginia School of Law; David Stewart, Georgetown University Law Center; and Margaret Taylor, United States Agency for International Development. Panelists discussed questions regarding the recently granted certiorari petition in a Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act case, the contemporary role of the Senate in U.S. Foreign Relations, and immigration issues. The symposium was followed by a small reception.