New York University’s Center on Law and Security will host “Secrecy and Government: America Faces the Future” on Thurs., April 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the NYU School of Law, Lipton Hall, 108 W. 3rd Street (between Sullivan and MacDougal).
Subways: A, B, C, D, E, F, V (West 4th Street)
This event is free and open to the public. Journalists or members of the public wishing to attend the forum should contact the Center on Law and Security at 212.992.8854 or email cls@juris.law.nyu.edu.
Participants include the following: Dana Priest, staff writer, The Washington Post; Noah Feldman, Goetz Professor of Law, NYU School Of Law; Stephen Holmes, Meyer Professor of Law NYU School of Law; attorney Scott Horton; Nat Hentoff, writer, The Village Voice; Walter Pincus, staff writer, The Washington Post; Rick Pildes, Sudler Professor of Law, NYU Law; Jack Goldsmith, Shattuck Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Bart Gellman, staff writer, The Washington Post; columnist Anthony Lewis; Joshua Dratel; attorney Jameel Jaffer, ACLU; Michael Sheehan, Distinguished Fellow, Center on Law and Security; Frank Anderson, former CIA division chief; Elaine Cassel, author of The War on Civil Liberties; Judge Kenneth Karas; Adam Liptak, staff writer, The New York Times; Col. Pat Lang; Stephen Schulhofer, professor, NYU Law; Karen Greenberg, executive director, Center on Law and Security.
In 1997, the Moynihan Commission concluded in its report, Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy, that, although secrecy was used as a necessary tool of governmental regulation, its excessive use could be detrimental to national interests. Before the advent of the war on terror, the premises of these reports provided a floor for American public policy and diplomacy. However, in the wake of 9/11, and in the name of national security, the executive branch has instituted far-reaching reforms in the matters of intelligence, disclosure, classification, accountability, and the need for state secrets. It is in this environment that this forum will examine the role that secrecy plays in American government.