Whether you are a teacher looking for materials you can use in your class, a student looking to go beyond your class, or for that matter anyone who simply wants to learn more about national security and law, we are here to help. Below you will find the first installment of what we hope becomes a robust set of free educational resources, including especially electronic casebooks, covering a range of topics.

Are you a teacher interested in adding your materials to this page? Write to academics@lawfareblog.com with the subject line "Submission" and the educational resources you would like to submit attached, and we'll take a look.

National Security Law Lectures (last updated Aug. 20, 2020)

Lawfare’s Matt Waxman (Columbia) and Bobby Chesney (Texas) have launched a curated series of video lectures on a growing array of national security law topics: National Security Law Lectures. The modules are well-suited for use by faculty, students, practitioners, or anyone who simply wants a better understanding of these topics. The series begins with an introductory survey of the field, and then goes on to include modules on war powers, cybersecurity, surveillance, and covert action. More modules will follow.

eCasebooks (last updated Sept. 21, 2020)

Robert Chesney, Cybersecurity Law, Policy and Institutions

Bobby Chesney’s interdisciplinary “eCasebook” is designed from the ground up to reflect the intertwined nature of the legal and policy questions associated with cybersecurity. The aim is to help the reader understand the nature and functions of the various government and private-sector actors associated with cyber-security in the United States, the policy goals they pursue, the issues and challenges they face, and the legal environment in which all of this takes place. It is designed to be accessible for beginners from any disciplinary background, yet useful to experienced audiences too. The first part of the book focuses on the “defensive” perspective (meaning that the casebook will assume an overarching policy goal of minimizing unauthorized access to or disruption of computer systems). The second part focuses on the “offensive” perspective (meaning that there are contexts in which unauthorized access or disruption might actually be desirable as a matter of policy). In short, the book is a guided tour of the broad cybersecurity landscape, suitable both for classroom use and for independent study. Chesney extends special thanks to the Hewlett Foundation for its support to his work, and that of the Strauss Center at UT-Austin, in this area.

Enjoy, and don’t hesitate to send comments to rchesney@law.utexas.edu.

1. Current version

Version 3.0 is posted here. Note that this link will take you to Chesney’s Social Science Research Network page for the book, which is where the most-recent iteration always appears.

2. Archived versions

Version 2.0 (circa December 2018, and styled as a syllabus/primer) is here.

We have not posted version 1.0, as it was little more than a long syllabus, but you can read about the original concept behind it here.

Matthew Waxman and Stephen Griffin, War Powers Casebook Chapter

Matthew Waxman and Professor Stephen Griffin (Tulane) have created a free “model casebook chapter” on constitutional war powers. As explained in a note up front, it is intended for use in Constitutional Law I classes that cover separation of powers. Others might find it useful for courses in National Security Law or Foreign Relations Law, or perhaps for graduate courses in U.S. foreign policy. It reflects a pedagogical preference for integrating a study of war-initiation with other issues like presidential and congressional powers in wartime, and it emphasizes historical practice among the political branches while keeping very short the primary document excerpts—especially when it comes to judicial cases. The chapter is available here.