The Center on Law and Security at NYU School of Law is pleased to announce the inauguration of a new Scholar-in-Residence Program. In addition, the Center is gratified to be able to announce that it has selected Michael E. Leiter, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) until July 2011, to be the Center’s first Scholar-in-Residence, with his term to begin in early October.
Through its new Scholar-in-Residence program the Center will leverage the experience and expertise of the most accomplished national security professionals to enrich academic understanding of these vital issues. During his time at NYU, Mr. Leiter will meet with students, faculty and members of the law school community across a wide range of events and discussions.
Mr. Leiter was sworn in as NCTC’s second-ever Director on June 12, 2008, upon his confirmation by the U.S. Senate and after serving as the Acting Director since November 2007. He was initially nominated to serve as Director by President George W. Bush in March 2008, and was asked to continue as Director by President Barack Obama in December 2009.
As the Director of NCTC, Leiter led the primary organization in the U.S. government for analysis and integration of all terrorism intelligence—both domestically and overseas. In addition, Leiter reported directly to the President in conducting strategic operational planning for U.S. Government-wide counterterrorism activities, to include the integration of U.S. military, intelligence, diplomatic, financial, and homeland security counterterrorism efforts.
From February 2007 to November 2007 Mr. Leiter served as NCTC’s Principal Deputy Director. Before joining NCTC, Mr. Leiter served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). From 2002 until 2005 he served with the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he prosecuted a variety of crimes, including narcotics offenses, organized crime and racketeering, capital murder, and money laundering.
Immediately prior to his Justice Department service, Mr. Leiter served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States and to Chief Judge Michael Boudin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. From 1991 until 1997 he served as a Naval Flight Officer flying EA-6B Prowlers in the U.S. Navy, participating in U.S., NATO, and UN operations in the former Yugoslavia and Iraq. Mr. Leiter also served as a Harvard Law School human rights fellow with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
Mr. Leiter received his J.D. from Harvard where he graduated magna cum laude and was President of the Harvard Law Review, and his B.A. from Columbia. He is the recipient of numerous awards, to include the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Secretary of Defense Outstanding Public Service Medal, the CIA Seal, and the Air Medal (Strike Flight, Three Awards).