Robert M. Chesney

Robert M Chesney
Born	(1971-06-23) June 23, 1971 San Antonio, TX
Nationality	American
Education	Harvard University Law School, Texas Christian University

Robert M. Chesney is an American lawyer and the Charles I. Francis Professor in Law at The University of Texas School of Law, where he serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and teaches courses relating to U.S. national security and constitutional law. Chesney addresses issues involving national security and law, including matters relating to military detention, the use of force, terrorism-related prosecutions, the role of the courts in national security affairs, and the relationship between military and intelligence community activities. He is a co-founder and contributor to the Lawfare Blog.

Career

In addition to his post at the University of Texas School of Law, Chesney is also a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a senior editor for the Journal of National Security Law & Policy, and Director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. He also holds a courtesy appointment at the LBJ School of Public Policy. In 2009, he served on the Detention Policy Task Force created by President Barack Obama, which was tasked with developing long-term policy in relation to the capture, detention, trial, or other disposition of persons in the context of combat and counterterrorism operations. Previously, he was a law professor at Wake Forest University School of Law. Before that he practiced law with Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. He clerked on both the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Chesney is a magna cum laude graduate of both Harvard Law School and Texas Christian University.

Teaching

Chesney has taught a range of subjects, including Constitutional Law, National Security Law, Evidence, The Role of the Judiciary in National Security Affairs, Civil Procedure, and U.S. Counterterrorism Policy in Legal and Historical Perspective. Chesney was named Wake Forest University School of Law’s Teacher of the Year for 2004 and 2007.

Publications

Chesney has written or co-authored many articles relating to the legal aspects of U.S. national security policies and practices: