This just in… The
Hon. Richard J. Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
has confirmed that he will serve as the Chief Judge of the Harold H. Greene
& Joyce Hens Green National Security Law Moot Court Competition’s final
round.
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| Judge Richard J. Leon |
Judge Leon, who will also be present for the awards ceremony
that will immediately follow the final round, brings prodigious national
security law credentials to the Competition.
Judge Leon was appointed to the United States District Court in February
2002. During his tenure on the bench, he
has presided over numerous Guantanamo detainee trials, and he penned the
landmark opinion that was famously upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case
that has reached “household name” status among national security law scholars—Boumediene v. Bush.
Prior to his appointment to the court, Judge Leon:
- Acted as Deputy Chief Minority Counsel for the U.S. House Select “Iran-Contra” Committee
- Served as counsel to Congress in the investigations of three sitting Presidents
- Acted as Chief Minority Counsel to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s “October Surprise” Task Force
- Worked for the U.S. Department of Justice in a number of capacities, including as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York
- Served as a Commissioner on the Judicial Review Commission on Foreign Asset Control
Needless to say, the Competition Committee is thrilled by Judge
Leon’s acceptance of the Chief Judge position.
His judicial acumen and breadth of experience will undoubtedly make the
Competition an even stronger one.
