Rule of Law: Help or Hinderance to National Security?

The rule of law is a foundational principle of democratic governance and a cornerstone of national security. It provides the framework for protecting civil liberties, ensuring government accountability, and maintaining public trust in institutions. At a time when foreign threats to our national security seem stronger than ever, how do we ensure that adherence to the rule of law and support for our democracy aren’t eroded by either external or internal attacks on those principles?

Please join the CSIS Defending Democratic Institutions Project on Friday, May 2, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET for a virtual conversation on the intersection of the rule of law and national security. The conversation will be moderated by Suzanne Spaulding, Senior Adviser for the Defense and Security Department and Founder of the Defending Democratic Institutions Project, and will feature distinguished panelists:

• Jeffrey H. Smith, Senior Counsel, National Security & Government Contracts Practice at Arnold Porter, former General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency
• Glenn S. Gerstell, Senior Adviser for the Defense and Security Department, former General Counsel of the National Security Agency
• Bruce Swartz, Senior Adviser for the Defense and Security Department, Peter Gruber Rule of Law Fellow at Yale Law School, and Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs for the Department of Justice 

The discussion will draw on the speakers’ decades of public service and legal expertise. Together, they will explore how the rule of law has shaped – and continues to shape – the nation’s security posture at home and abroad.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.