The Conference
The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL) will convene a two-day conference to address the urgent challenges posed by recent military deployments to support civilian law enforcement operations, both at home and abroad. The conference will focus on new threats to the rule of law, the chain of command, constitutional rights, democratic governance, and the evolution of such threats over time.
Throughout its history, the U.S. military has assisted federal, state, and local authorities in responding to homeland security incidents when the response requirements exceeded those authorities’ resources. These incidents included civil disturbances, border security, logistical support for and military cooperation with civilian law enforcement agencies, drug interdiction and counter-drug activities, presidential inaugurations, and public health emergencies. However, new issues have emerged with the deployment of the National Guard in U.S. cities in 2025, the large number of customs and border patrol agents deployed to U.S. cities, the U.S. military’s Operation Southern Spear resulting in airstrikes and naval operations linked to counter-drug operations, and the execution of Operation Absolute Resolve resulting in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and his wife after indictment for narco-terrorism conspiracy offenses.
The sessions of this conference will bring together academics in multiple domains with practitioners from civil society, government service, industry, and the military to address the ethical, legal, and policy implications of domestic military deployments and the changes in the U.S.’s involvement on the international stage. The conference sessions will be closed to the public and follow the Chatham House Rule.
Conference Report
Keynotes
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Keynote 5
3:00 – 4:00 pm
The Rule of Law? Maximizing Hard and Soft Law Arctic Governance
This session will consider the current and future state of hard and soft Arctic governance mechanisms – including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), treaties, and the Arctic Council – and their ability to advance strategic physical and economic security objectives in the region.
Moderator:
Amb. David Balton, Senior Fellow, Polar Institute, Wilson Center; fmr. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and Fisheries
Panelists:
Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough, Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council; Senior Scholar and Special Adviser on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, University of Alaska Anchorage
Dr. Lassi Heininen, Professor of Arctic Politics, University of Lapland; Editor of Arctic Yearbook
Hon. Inuuteq Holm Olsen, Head of Representation for Greenland
Participants
Warren Distinguished Professor of Law
The University of San Diego School of Law
Professor of Law
The Rutgers Law School
ILP Academic Administrator, Philosophy PhD Candidate
University of Pennsylvania
Background Readings
For Participants
Conference registrants may access background readings and a list of participants. To gain access, please enter the password provided to you by the CERL conference team. If you have any trouble accessing the materials, please contact [email protected].
Contact us
For any questions regarding the conference or registration, please contact: [email protected]
