Legal Architecture of Counterterrorism

May 11-13, 2009

The Legal Architecture of Counterterrorism: Constitutional Principles and Contemporary Policy

The first Montpelier-Brookings Conference on Contemporary Constitutional Issues focused on presidential power and the legal architecture of counterterrorism.  Participants and presenters examined the origins of presidential war powers, tracing their evolutions through the history of the United States to the present day. The conference presenters were drawn from contributing writers of the recently released book Legislating the War on Terror: An Agenda for Reform. Presenters included the editor of the volume, Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution and a former editorial writer with The Washington Post, as well as Akhil Reed Amar, an expert on the Constitution and professor at Yale Law School, and Paul Clement, former Solicitor General.

The conference was held on the grounds of James Madison's Montpelier in Orange County, Virginia. In addition to the conference sessions, participants were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the recently restored mansion, home of James and Dolley Madison, along with a walking tour of Montpelier's archaeological sites.

Click here for the complete program agenda.