Quick Biographies of the Founding Members of the NSLB and current Executive Board

Sean Shank:
Sean is a second year law student at American University's Washington College of Law, and is enrolled in the dual master's degree program with the School of International Service, concentrating on International Security. He graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor's Degree in East Asian Studies in 2006, focusing on United States-Japanese relations. Sean briefly worked for a newspaper publication in Kanazawa, Japan, acting as an assistant reporter. He is near-fluent in Japanese, and is conversational in Korean. Sean currently serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the AU National Security Law Brief.

Mora Namdar:
Mora, a native Texan of Persian decent, received her undergraduate degree from SMU in Dallas, Texas. She was a double major in Political Science and International Studies was the inaugural graduate of the human rights minor, and also minored in philosophy and fine art. As a student there, she was active on campus as President of Amnesty International, a student senator, Vice-Chair of Student Issue Committee, a member of AXO sorority, the Class of 08 council, and interned for U.S. Congresswoman Eddie B. Johnson. Currently, Mora is a 2nd year law student at the Washington College of Law at American University working on her J.D. and Masters in International affairs. She is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the National Security Law Brief, an SBA senator, member of Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, and a member of the Students and Organizations Committee. Mora speaks Farsi fluently, has traveled extensively in Europe, and studied abroad at Oxford University.

George Lynch:
George is the Executive Editor of the American University WCL National Security Law Brief. He was a political science and American history student as an undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine. He is currently a JD student at American University Washington College of Law, studying international law, and a graduate student at American University’s School of International Service, studying national security policy and diplomacy. He has twice studied abroad; at Kings College, Cambridge University, and as a law student in The Hague. George has volunteered at the Western Center for Law and Poverty in Los Angeles. In his time at WCL he has become a member of the International Trade Law Society, the Pro-Bono Honors Pledge program, and the ABA Student Division.

Jessica Lechuga:

Jessica, a Chicago native, is a second year law student at American University WCL with interests in International Law. Along with joining the International Law Review this year, Jessica is also a member of LaLSA, the Latino/a Law Student Association. Prior to law school, Jessica worked in the career criminal bureau for the New York District Attorney. She began her legal career working on high profile criminal cases serving as an aid to the Assistant District Attorneys. Jessica earned her B.A. in Psychology from New York University.

Richard V. Rodriguez
Richard, a native-born New Yorker with dual citizenship from the United States and Costa Rica, received his undergraduate degree and Masters graduate degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His undergraduate major is in Business Administration specializing in finance and accounting. His Masters degree is in Professional Studies specializing in Human Resources Management. While at Stony Brook he worked full-time for The State Bank of Long Island, a Long Island-based commercial bank, in the Cash Management division. Richard is a second year law student enrolled in the dual JD/MBA program at the Washington College of Law and the Kogod School of Business. He is the Managing Editor / Budget Officer of the National Security Law Brief, member of the American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law, member of Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, member of the Latino/a American Law Student Association (LaLSA), member of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), Liaison for American University for the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), member of the Hispanic MBA club, and lastly a member of the Hispanic Bar Association in DC. He currently works as a Dean’s fellow for the Legal Rhetoric department’s LAP program and recently worked for the legal division of the Mexican Department of Transportation.

Alexandra Galloway
Alexandra sought involvement in founding the National Security Law Brief because she believes national security objectives and strategies should be a product of laws and theories, not just a military initiative. As a member of the more hawkish wing of the brief, Alex views efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy as top national security priorities. Her favorite historical figures include Winston Churchill, Thucydides and Aristotle. With an undergraduate degree in Political Science from San Diego State University, Alex is currently a second year law student at Washington College of Law and works for the Department of Homeland Security.

Daniel K. George
Daniel, a second year law student, received his undergraduate degree with honors (cum laude) from Florida State University in 2006. He Majored in Political Science and International Affairs. He is an Orlando Florida native studying the legal aspects of national security, in regard to the role that finance and foreign investment play in national security. He is the Symposium Editor and Communications Chair.

Steve Nabors:
Steve is a second year dual-degree candidate at American University's Washington College of Law and School of International Service. He is pursuing a Juris Doctor focusing on international law and a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Resolution. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Tennessee majoring in Political Science in 2008 and studied abroad in South Africa in 2006. He served as a Dean's Fellow on Dr. Nicholas Kittrie's Laws of War and Peace project in 2009 and is a current member of the Jessup International Moot Court Team. He is the son and grandson of U.S. Army veterans.

The AU National Security Law Brief - Bringing a New Generation to the Debate

It is now a truism to acknowledge September 11^th, 2001 as a turning point in American foreign affairs and security policy. The ensuing legislative and policy responses – the Patriot Act, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, and military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, to name a few – have generated much debate. Some may say that this debate has yielded more heat than light. However, the debate over national security policy and law in the wake of the September 11^th attacks highlights an important consensus: now, more than ever, the United States can ill afford to ignore and isolate itself from world affairs. And it certainly cannot do so while retaining security policies steeped in Cold War paradigms.

In academia, this debate has not yielded many student-generated law publications. Currently, there is only one law school journal devoted to the field of national security law – the Journal of National Security Law & Policy at the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. (By highlighting our colleagues at McGeorge, we only bemoan the lack of similar publications nationwide. We wish to acknowledge this journal's academic leadership.) More generally, other institutions have centers or programs devoted to this field, rather than journals. After two terms of Bush's national security presidency, we feel that it is time for American law students of all backgrounds to broaden the contribution to this field.

At American University’s Washington College of Law, many of our colleagues and professors are distinctly oriented toward public service. A national security publication that is largely student-run serves as an outlet for this civic inclination. The founding members of our brief – liberals, conservatives, libertarians, and independents – bring a beneficial diversity of perspective, all while sharing the same interest in our nation's security. Through vigorous debate and legal scholarship, we hope to lend to the continued study and innovation of counterterrorism, border security, cyber security, and intelligence reform, among other areas. In this way, we hope that our brief will further galvanize a new generation’s involvement in the protection of America.

-The Editors of the AU Nat'l Security Law Brief