Mission

Founded in 2003 and renamed in 2018, the Reiss Center on Law and Security is a non-partisan multidisciplinary research institute at NYU School of Law. We are focused on cultivating an informed dialogue, educating the next generation of leaders, and fostering groundbreaking research on the vital legal, policy, and strategic questions that will shape the national security field for years to come.

The Reiss Center works to address emerging national security challenges of our era, while also drawing on its rich history of study arising from the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. The Center engages in research that elevates and advances the public dialogue about national security law and policy issues and informs the policy-making process by engaging key stakeholders. Across all areas of its work the Center seeks to understand and illuminate the relationship between national security law and national security strategy, and examine the U.S. approach in a global context. Through its publications, conferences, and events, the Center endeavors to make our national security policies more effective, legitimate, and sustainable.

The Reiss Center engages in a range of activities in pursuit of its mission, including:

Public events, conferences, and workshops, which bring together experts in national security, law, foreign policy, and military affairs.

Private roundtables and policy groups for national security experts, scholars, and practitioners in a non-public, academic setting.

Research and writing on innovative and topical issues for both academic and popular discourse, ranging from short-form pieces, to reports and issue briefs, to books and edited volumes. The Reiss Center is also home to Just Security, the online forum on law, rights, and national security.

Fellowships for leading experts from a wide range of fields related to national security law and strategy. The Reiss Center’s fellows and affiliates enrich the public understanding of national security law and strategy and offer unparalleled academic opportunities to the NYU Law community.

Academic programs and resources for students at NYU School of Law, which afford a range of opportunities to gain training and direct exposure to the study and practice of national security law and strategy.