Constitution Day Speaker Stephen Vladeck Explores the Supreme Court Post 9/11
Stephen I. Vladeck, Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law and nationally recognized expert on the role of the federal courts in the war on terrorism, will give a talk.Wednesday, September 7, 2011 09:58 AM
The talk, titled "The Federal Courts After September 11 and the Passive-Aggressive Virtues,” will be given on Thursday, September 15, 2011, in the Seegers Union Great Room at 7:00 p.m. This event, which is free and open to the public and held in honor of Constitution Day, is co-sponsored by the department of political science and the office of the provost.
In his talk, Vladek will look at how the Supreme Court has acted in the post-9/11 decade toward issues arising from the war on terrorism. He will examine how the Court's behavior has lent legitimacy to a host of potentially un-constitutional actions by asserting the court's role in hearing cases concerning such things as the position of enemy combatants, while refusing to rule on the merits of such activities.
Vladeck’s teaching and research focus on federal jurisdiction, constitutional law (especially the separation of powers), national security law, and international criminal law. He was part of the legal team that successfully challenged the Bush Administration’s use of military tribunals at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. 557 (2006), and has co-authored amicus briefs in a host of other lawsuits challenging the U.S. government’s surveillance and detention of terrorism suspects. Vladeck has also drafted reports on related issues for a number of organizations, including the First Amendment Center, the Constitution Project, and the ABA’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security.
Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens.
