The Law of Armed Conflict: An Operational Approach

AuthorDan E. Stigall
PositionTrial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
Pages227-241
2012] BOOK REVIEWS 227
THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT: AN OPERATIONAL
APPROACH1
REVIEWED BY DAN E. STIGALL*
I. Introduction
Recent years have seen a distinct rise in the academic attention paid
to all aspects of what is frequently termed, in the collective, national
security law,2 and various subcategories of international and domestic
law which relate to national security.3 This increased academic interest,
spurred by world events such as the U.S. conflicts in Iraq and
Afghanistan and the increased focus on counterterrorism, has resulted in
such heightened attention that many U.S. law schools now publish
journals which focus exclusively on national security law4 and even offer
LL.M. programs specializing in this distinct academic area.5 Courses on
the law of armed conflict have also burgeoned.6 Concomitantly, since
* Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs. He also
serves as an Adjunct Professor of International Law at The Judge Advocate General’s
Legal Center and School (U.S. Army). Prior to joining the Department of Justice, he
served on active duty in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 2001–
2009, serving in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. LL.M., 2009, George
Washington University School of Law; J.D., 2000, Louisiana State University Paul M.
Hebert Law Center; B.A., 1996, Louisiana State University. Any opinion expressed in
this book review is solely that of the author and not necessarily that of the Department of
Defense or the Department of Justice. The author would like to thank Madeleine for her
assistance.
1 GEOFFREY S. CORN, VICTOR HANSEN, M. CHRISTOPHER JENKS, RICHARD JACKSON, ERIC
TALBOT JENSEN & JAMES A. SCHOETTLER, THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT: AN
OPERATIONAL APPROACH (2012).
2 Scott L. Silliman, Teaching National Security Law, 1 J. NATL. SECURITY L. & POLY
161, 162 (2005) (“Although the study of national security law has always built upon a
foundation of constitutional law, in recent years it has necessarily grown in scope to
include coverage of fundamental principles of public international law, international
criminal law, international humanitarian law, and numerous domestic statutes.”).
3 Id.
4 See, e.g., J. NATL SECURITY L. & POLY, http://jnslp.com (last visited Dec. 21, 2012).
5 For instance, both The George Washington University School of Law and Georgetown
Law School now offer LL.M. programs in National Security Law. See, e.g., Georgetown
Law School, http://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/academic-programs/graduate-
programs/degree-programs/national-security/index.cfm (last visited Dec. 21, 2012)
(describing its National Security Law LL.M.) (“The National Security Law LL.M. degree
is a highly competitive one-year advanced degree program, created to give students the
opportunity to engage in critical thinking about national security law.”).
6 AM. BAR ASSN, CAREERS IN NATIONAL SECURITY LAW, at xi (1st ed. 2008), available at
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/natsecurity/nsl_text.authcheckda

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