The Lawfare Podcast: Jack Goldsmith and Ben Wittes on Lawfare Origins and 9/11

Jen Patja, David Priess, Jack Goldsmith, Benjamin Wittes
Monday, September 13, 2021, 12:00 PM

More than 11 years ago, Bobby Chesney, Jack Goldsmith and Benjamin Wittes started a national security law blog called Lawfare, focused almost exclusively on issues related to the U.S. government's reaction to 9/11 and the reactions to those government policies and the legal justifications for them. 

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More than 11 years ago, Bobby Chesney, Jack Goldsmith and Benjamin Wittes started a national security law blog called Lawfare, focused almost exclusively on issues related to the U.S. government's reaction to 9/11 and the reactions to those government policies and the legal justifications for them. In its early days, Lawfare was largely unknown to the general public outside of national security lawyers inside the U.S. government. Lawfare didn't even have a podcast.


Jack and Ben joined David Priess to talk through these origins of Lawfare, it's intimate connection to 9/11 and its aftermath, and the importance of analyzing these issues at the intersection of national security, law and policy.


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Jen Patja

Jen Patja

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Jen Patja is the editor and producer of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics, a nonprofit organization that empowers the next generation of leaders in Virginia by promoting constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. She is the former Deputy Director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier and has been a freelance editor for over 20 years.
David Priess

David Priess

davidpriess
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David Priess is Director of Intelligence at Bedrock Learning, Inc. and a Senior Fellow at the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security. He served during the Clinton and Bush 43 administrations as a CIA officer and has written two books: “The President’s Book of Secrets,” about the top-secret President’s Daily Brief, and "How To Get Rid of a President," describing the ways American presidents have left office.
Jack Goldsmith

Jack Goldsmith

@jacklgoldsmith
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Jack Goldsmith is the Learned Hand Professor at Harvard Law School, co-founder of Lawfare, and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Before coming to Harvard, Professor Goldsmith served as Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel from 2003-2004, and Special Counsel to the Department of Defense from 2002-2003.
Benjamin Wittes

Benjamin Wittes

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Benjamin Wittes is editor in chief of Lawfare and a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of several books.

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