September 14, 2016

Southwestern Law School Symposium Explores Modern Implications of the Laws of War

Cicero famously said, “inter arma enim silent leges” – Latin for “in times of war, the law falls silent.” Yet the media is regularly full of charges of “war crimes” and other violations of the laws of war, highlighting that numerous laws do in fact apply during war. Claims are also heard that such laws inappropriately “tie the hands of soldiers,” thus rendering professional armies ineffective against modern threats, or that torture, carpet bombing of populated areas, and other banned practices should be utilized despite laws prohibiting them.

An experienced group of legal experts will tackle these claims, and others, on Friday, October 7, 2016 when Southwestern Law School and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) jointly present the Modern Implications of the Laws of War. Conference panels will highlight the unique balance struck by the laws of war, which allows for military success while simultaneously lessening war’s destructive impact. Panel experts—many former military legal advisors—will discuss how the law is operationalized both on the battlefield and off, note where the law needs to evolve, and highlight the challenges of applying it in modern arenas such as cyberspace and in asymmetric conflicts. They will also explore how the law is portrayed in the media, and the impact of such portrayal on combat operations.

The keynote address will be provided by U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) General John R. Allen, a distinguished combat warrior who is the former commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and most recently served as special presidential envoy to the global coalition to counter the Islamic State (ISIL).

Rachel VanLandingham, Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern and Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, ret., is spearheading the conference. “We are quite fortunate to have amazing speakers who will share their hard-earned experiences regarding the laws of war with our Southwestern community,” she said. “Appreciating how the rule of law governs warfare is vital today more than ever, given the on-going armed conflicts involving our U.S. forces, the evolving threats posed by non-state actors and others who disregard the law, and technology’s impact on warfare, to name only a few reasons.”

The symposium will also feature a special lunchtime discussion, “Torture on TV: Q & A with Mr. Bob Cochran, co-creator of ’24′,” which will be conducted by Professor VanLandingham.

The list of distinguished panelists includes legal scholars, attorneys, ICRC delegates and reporters. Schedule to speak are:

• Gary Brown, Professor of Cyber Security, Marine Corps University (Colonel, USAF, ret.)
• Geoffrey S. Corn, Professor of Law and Presidential Research Professor, Houston College of Law (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, ret.)
• Dave Glazier, Professor of Law, Loyola Law School (Commander, U.S. Navy, ret.)
• Shane Harris, The Daily Beast
• Chris Jenks, Director of the Criminal Justice Clinic and Assistant Professor of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, ret.)
• Claudia Josi, Adjunct Professor, Santa Clara Law School
• Joshua Kastenberg, Assistant Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, ret.)
• Martin Lacourt, Senior Armed Forces Delegate, ICRC, Washington, D.C.
• Kenneth Watkin, Brigadier General (ret.), Canadian Armed Forces
• Alexandra Zavis, Los Angeles Times

In addition to Professor VanLandingham, panel moderators include:

• Geoffrey S. Corn, Professor of Law and Presidential Research Professor, Houston College of Law (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, ret.)
• Anna Nelson, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, ICRC, Washington, D.C.
• Rachel VanLandingham, Associate Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, ret.)

Kenneth Watkin, Brigadier General (ret.), Canadian Armed Forces

Articles written in coordination with the symposium will be published in the Southwestern Law Review. Copies of the issue will be sent to participants and will also be available for purchase. For further information about the Law Journal, contact the Student Affairs Office.

The symposium will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the historic Bullocks Wilshire Building on Southwestern’s campus, 3050 Wilshire Boulevard, in Los Angeles. The cost, including lunch, is $75 for non-Southwestern Alumni seeking 7 hours of CLE credit; $50 for Southwestern Alumni seeking 7 hours of CLE credit; and $40 for those not seeking CLE credit.