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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Daniel Schuman 202-580-6922          
dschuman@constitutionproject.org

A Discussion of National Security Courts, Preventive Detention, and President Obama's Executive Orders

Experts to Explore Legal and Constitutional Issues Raised by Executive Orders on Detention and Guantanamo at Georgetown University Law Center on March 20

WASHINGTON


WHAT
: The
Constitution Project will co-host a panel of experts with a variety of
perspectives who will discuss the legal and constitutional issues raised by
President Obama's executive orders on detention and Guantanamo, including potential
proposals for the establishment of a national security court and a preventive
detention regime. Human Rights First and the Georgetown Center
on National Security and the Law will co-host the discussion, entitled "Bringing Detainees to Justice and Justice to Detainees: Remaining Questions about Detention and
Trials after the Executive Orders."

WHO:

  • Moderator,
    Stephen Vladeck, Associate Professor of Law, American University Washington
    College of Law
  • David
    Laufman
    , Attorney, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP; former Assistant
    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia who has
    prosecuted terrorism cases
  • Deborah
    Pearlstein
    , Associate Research Scholar in Law and Public Affairs
    Program, Woodrow Wilson School,
    Princeton University
  • Gabor
    Rona
    , International Legal Director, Human Rights First
  • Matthew
    Waxman
    , Associate Professor of Law, Columbia Law School, former
    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs under President
    George W. Bush

WHEN: Friday,
March 20, 2009, from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Discussion from noon until 1:30
p.m. A light lunch will be served immediately following the discussion.

WHERE: Georgetown University
Law Center,
Hart Auditorium, 600 New Jersey
Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

RSVP: The event is free. Members of media
RSVP to Daniel Schuman at dschuman@constitutionproject.org.
All others RSVP to RSVP@constitutionproject.org.
Please include your name, the number of attendees, and the words "National
Security Courts Panel Discussion."

Background: For
background information, please see the Constitution Project's report "A
Critique of National Security Courts
," which was authored by Stephen
Vladeck. Contact our communications department to arrange interviews with our
in-house experts or to speak with the panelists.

The Constitution Project is a politically independent think tank established in 1997 to promote and defend constitutional safeguards. More information about the Constitution Project is available at https://constitutionproject.org/.