Featured Courses
Choose from an unmatched curriculum that explores the most current issues—from cybersecurity to refugee law.
Advanced Foreign Intelligence Law
National Security and Presidential Power
Business and Human Rights in the Global Economy
Reproductive Health and International Human Rights Law
Commercial Space Law
Victim-Centered Justice
National Security Lawyering
Domestic Violent Extremism Seminar
Emerging Topics in Social Media Law
Protecting Life in Conflicts with Non-State Groups Seminar
Global Revolutions, Civic Activism, and Civil Society
Maritime Law
Issues in Disarmament: Proliferation, Terrorism, and Law of War
Nationalisms, States, and Cultural Identities Seminar
Criminal Law Across Borders
Technology and Election Integrity Seminar
Artificial Intelligence and National Security
National security law intersects with everything from A.I. to war crimes and prosecution. Our curriculum covers it all.
What our students are saying
“The Center on National Security afforded me the opportunity to learn from practicing professionals in classes like National Security and the Law of the Sea, and helped me find an internship opportunity in the White House.”
— Jordan Foley, JD 2021
“My LL.M in National Security at Georgetown was essential to my professional development and success as National Security Advisor for the U.S. Export-Import Bank.”
— Sergio Fontanez, LL.M. 2022
“The LL.M. program opened the doors to not one, but two dream roles for me, at the International Court of Justice and the International Committee of the Red Cross.”
— Gunjan Chawla, LL.M. 2017
Simulation: National Security Crisis Law (NSCL): Edge Technologies
Georgetown Law’s capstone experience for students pursuing a career in national security law.
The course started out with a tabletop exercise during the 2009-10 academic year which quickly evolved into a week-long, intensive immersion. The experience has proven equally vital for students who select not to go into national security: it provides critical insight into how legal authorities and processes work; nontraditional modes of communication; institutional relationships; leadership; group dynamics; and cognitive biases that shape legal decision making.
Course Categories
The courses in the field of international and national security law are divided into three main categories.
U.S. domestic law governing national security education rooted in ethics and shared values
These courses examine the Constitution’s allocation of power between Congress and the President regarding national security, such as the treaty power and the war power, and also explore the role of the courts as a check on the political branches. Domestic statutory law, including framework statutes such as the War Powers Resolution, is examined as well.
The international legal framework that governs national security
This group of courses puts a special emphasis on the United Nations Charter, which not only sets forth legal principles regarding the use of force by states, but also establishes an institutional framework for collective efforts to maintain international peace and security.
International and national security law
This cluster of courses examine both international and U.S. law and focus on particular substantive issues in national security-related issues.
Related Courses: Issues in Disarmament: Proliferation and Terrorism Seminar.
Explore Courses about international and national security law
Apply Now
Want a premier legal education with limitless opportunities in the nation’s capital?
Resources
Career Development
We help nurture the skills and offer the internship opportunities necessary for our alumni to leave Georgetown ready to shape the course of national security.
JD and LL.M. Programs
Our law degrees set the gold standard for a national security legal education.
Faculty
For our faculty, experiential learning and education are inseparable. One builds off the other.