The National Security Law Podcast

The National Security Law Podcast episodes:

• 04.02.2024

  Episode 245: 100 Days Later…

  Hello, is this thing on?  Check one, check two...testing, testing.  We're good?  Alright alright alright... It's been 100 days between shows.  Thought maybe the world might be calmer if we waited a bit, but no such luck!  We are, however, very...

  
• 12.23.2023

  Episode 244: Not Our 30th Episode of 2023

  Barring an unlikely spate of more than a dozen episodes happening over the next week, it sure looks like Steve has won his bet with Bobby, for this marks the 16th episode of 2023.  Ouch, that's not even *close* to...

  
• 11.28.2023

  Episode 243: Boiled Froggy Water Under the Bridge

  Two months between episodes?  Looks like someone will be buying Steve a dinner at the conclusion of 2023 (barring a pivot to posting new episodes every day). As for what is on tap in episode 243: * Israel and Gaza: a...

  
• 09.29.2023

  Episode 242: A Rule of Law (and Punctuation) Free Episode!

  Sorry about accidentally taking the whole month off, but we're back with a classic: tune in for the 9/11 case warm-up, and stick around for 45 minutes of wrangling over the PCLOB Report on Section 702!  And, yes, frivolity, always...

  
• 08.22.2023

  Episode 241: Let’s Barbie!

  Tune in for the latest, in which we discuss life as a fall 1L, RICO, removal, Nashiri, Bahlul, Shimari, Barbie, and Silo. And if all those names mean something to you...well, you are among the select few, and this pod...

  
• 08.08.2023

  Episode 240: Something Got Released

  If you are interested in a detailed and careful explanation of the charges at issue in United States v. Trump (the recent indictment of the former president in relation to his effort to overturn the results of the election), the way that...

  
• 07.11.2023

  Episode 239: We Have Many Tapestries!

  Well, it's been about a month, so it's good we are finally back with a fresh episode!  Tune in as hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney kick the tires on: * The New York Times story (per Charlie Savage) on...

  
• 06.12.2023

  Episode 238: The World Wonders

  Today's episode focuses on the indictment in United States v. Donald Trump and Waltine Nauta, S.D. Fla. (23-80101-CR).  Co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney walk you through the factual allegations, the crimes charged, the areas where tricky evidence questions might arise,...

  
• 04.25.2023

  Episode 237: Are You Not Detained???

  And we're back, with co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney breaking down the latest national security law news along with much else.  This week the spotlight is on the D.C. Circuit's en banc decision in al Hela, which grapples with the...

  
• 04.05.2023

  Episode 236: Damn the Torpedoes!

  Good morning!  Episode 236 covers: The Trump Indictment The Biden Administration's Executive Order on Abusive Commercial Spyware A CENTCOM strike against an IS target in Syria The future of private prosecutors?

  
• 03.16.2023

  Episode 235: A Drone Struck

  We're back with a Spring Break edition, featuring: * ICC cases emerging against Russian defendants for (1) removing children from Ukraine to Russia and (2) attacking civilian infrastructure * A UK drone strike in Syria, a US drone strike in...

  
• 02.23.2023

  Episode 234: Not *That* Linda Hamilton

  Are you ready for a DEEP DIVE?  We've got an extended conversation today explaining the stakes and anticipating the outcomes in two cases argued in front of SCOTUS this week:  Google v. Gonzalez and Twitter v. Taamneh.  The cases present...

  
• 02.14.2023

  Episode 233: This Episode Was (Not) Written by ChatGPT

  We are delighted this week to feature two Texas Law students -- Sam Libby and Alex Rigby -- who earned the chance to co-host the show with us thanks to their generosity supporting the Texas Law Fellowships program (a charitable...

  
• 02.09.2023

  Episode 232: Top Gun 3: Deflategate!

  After a week with no electricity, Professors Vladeck and Chesney are back with the latest in national security law news.  Tune in for discussions of: * the law (or lack thereof) when it comes to balloons, altitude, and aerial espionage ...

  
• 01.24.2023

  Episode 231: If You Go to Washington Don’t Crime There

  What's this, a one-week turnaround between shows?  Will wonders never cease? In a throwback to the days of this being a weekly show, your co-hosts Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck are back on a quick turnaround in order to debate...

  
• 01.17.2023

  Episode 230, Not Section 230

  Wouldn't want you to be misled by the episode number (though we do actually foreshadow some future Section 230 coverage in light of an upcoming pair of SCOTUS cases)!  At any rate: tune in as Professors Chesney and Vladeck discuss...

  
• 01.02.2023

  Episode 229: We Are Not Not Going to Post Weekly in 2023 Maybe

  Happy 2023 y'all!  We are off to a quick start this year.  Tune in as Professors Vladeck and Chesney discuss recent developments, including: * The Supreme Court's "Title 42"-related action in Arizona v. Mayorkas * Highlights from the National Defense...

  
• 12.13.2022

  Episode 228: Not *That* George Clinton!

  Holiday edition!  Tune in as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss the rapid demise of the attempt by Donald Trump's lawyers to use Executive Privilege in relation to the classified documents found at Mar a Lago, the arrival in...

  
• 11.14.2022

  Episode 227: Maybe This Episode Should Pay to Get Verified

  Hello friends!  We're back with a new episode. Tune in as Professor Steve Vladeck and Dean Bobby Chesney chat about (1) the fate of Twitter, (2) the national security implications of the election results, (3) a just-released 2016 NSA IG...

  
• 10.18.2022

  Episode 226: What Is a Court Anyway?

  So, it's been a while...but we're back!  And it's time to buy Steve's book on the Supreme Court's Shadow Docket: tinyurl.com/shadowdocket Meanwhile, in today's episode, we'll review the ongoing Mar-a-Lago documents litigation, the Jan. 6 Committee's subpoena to ex-president Donald Trump,...

  
• 09.01.2022

  Episode 225: Appetite for Obstruction

  Hello, and welcome back to the National Security Law Podcast, with co-hosts Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck! In this episode, we dig into the latest filings in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents/presidential records litigation, emphasizing the mounting reasons to believe that...

  
• 08.16.2022

  Episode 224: Mar-a-Lag-o-Palooza

  After just one week, incredibly, we are back!  And we're joined by two of our fantastic Texas Law students.  Ryan Brown and Adam Goodrum won the right to guest host at last year's public-interest auction at Texas Law, and as...

  
• 08.09.2022

  Episode 223: The Search for Episode 222!

  Well, the original idea was to have a short episode about the strike that killed al Zawahiri, and to recap the D.C. Circuit's Larabee ruling.  But then just before showtime, we learned of the FBI executing a warrant at Mar-a-Lago,...

  
• 06.28.2022

  Episode 221: GWOT Shots, Part Deux

  And we're back, with yet another interminable window of extemporaneous frivolity at the front end of what otherwise is a somewhat serious show about the latest national security law developments and debates (seriously). Listen up as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and...

  
• 06.07.2022

  Episode 220: This Podcast Made the Kessel Run In Less than 12 Parsecs

  And...we're back, and in less than a month, remarkably!  Tune in as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss (1) the latest seditious conspiracy indictment arising out of January 6th, (2) the Navarro contempt of Congress charge, (3) the latest...

  
• 05.17.2022

  Episode 219: And the Podcast Host-Designate Is …

  Some of y'all were wondering if the show was done-for now that co-host Bobby Chesney has been named the next dean of the University of Texas School of Law.  But as it turns out, the main impact of that on...

  
• 04.27.2022

  Episode 218: From 28(j) to Enterprise-J

  Ok, ok, it's been a full month since the last episode.  But good things come to those who wait!  We are back, and hope you'll tune in as co-hosts Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck discuss the latest in national security...

  
• 03.28.2022

  Episode 217: Talking With Matt Olsen About DOJ National Security Division

  What a treat we have for you this week!  Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen, head of DOJ's National Security Division, sits down with co-hosts Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck to talk about a wide range of NSD-related topics: * the...

  
• 03.08.2022

  Episode 216: This Podcast Does Not Constitute Legal Advice

  And we're back! Tune in as Professors Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck discuss and debate: * ICC jurisdiction over war crimes on Ukraine's territory * Limits on sharing tactical intel and arms? * The Neutrality Act and its implications for...

  
• 02.22.2022

  Episode 215: Rhyming or Outright Repeating?

  We are back with a fresh episode, hot on the heels of Russia's latest incursion into Ukraine. Tune in as we survey some of the legal dimensions to this latest development (including discussion of the impact of diplomatic recognition on...

  
• 02.01.2022

  Episode 214: What Month Is This Anyway?

  We are back, and even though one of us apparently cannot work this new tech called a "calendar," we're excited to bring a shorter-than-usual episode without having a whole month go by! Tune in as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney...

  
• 01.20.2022

  Episode 213: Most Likely to Engage in a Seditious Conspiracy

  Seeing as how 2022 is well underway, it's probably about time we produced a new episode!  Tune in for co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney as they discuss and debate: * The various international and domestic law questions that might...

  
• 12.17.2021

  Episode 212: Nakatomi Plaza Holiday Office Party Edition

  Welcome to our official Holiday Office Party, where we mainly just hope things will go smoother than they did for the good people of Nakatomi Corporation in 1988! In this episode, co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss: * The state...

  
• 11.09.2021

  Episode 211: Behold, our Q4 episode

  Ah, well, that took a bit longer than expected!  We promise we don't mean to let this become a quarterly show, or even a monthly.  Too much national security law for that! In today's episode, we discuss: * Haroon Gul's victory...

  
• 10.06.2021

  Episode 210: The Witness Who Became a Meme

  What's that?  A new episode?  What have these guys been doing all month... Well, whatever they've been doing all September since Episode 209, Professors Vladeck and Chesney are back at last with a new episode.  Tune in as they discuss and...

  
• 09.10.2021

  Episode 209: The 20th Anniversary of 9/11

  This week on the National Security Law Podcast, we mark 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.  Tune in as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney share their views on the major legal developments unleashed by that awful day, in a...

  
• 08.16.2021

  Episode 208: Afghanistan

  In this week's episode, we focus on the unfolding situation in Afghanistan.

  
• 08.11.2021

  Episode 207: Pearls Are In the Eye of the Beholder

  It's been a long summer break for the podcast, but we're back! Tune in today as Professors Chesney and Vladeck discuss and debate: * AUMF reform prospects (2001 AUMF in particular) * Ongoing uncertainty as to the fate of the...

  
• 07.13.2021

  Episode 206: This Podcast Is Not a State Actor

  [Updated to fix the audio issue with the original file...though I have to admit, it was very entertaining to hear the hosts speaking an octave too low!)  We're back with another round of discussion and debate featuring co-hosts Steve Vladeck...

  
• 06.28.2021

  Episode 205: Road Trip!

  We're back, with one slightly-older co-host and another co-host who is ready to drive across the country!  Tune in for discussion and debate relating to: * The domestic and international law aspects of the Biden administration's decision to conduct airstrikes...

  
• 06.15.2021

  Episode 204: [Insert Inscrutable Title Here]

  Hello from Austin! We're back with a new episode!  Tune in as your co-hosts Professor Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss and debate: * SCOTUS narrows the scope of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in Van Buren * SCOTUS grants cert. in Fazaga, adding...

  
• 05.24.2021

  Episode 203: Resistance Is Feudal (aka an interview with CISA’s Eric Goldstein)

  We are very excited for this week's show, in which we interview Eric Goldstein--the Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity at DHS CISA!  We had a terrific conversation, with a focus on (1) understanding the specific programs and activities that CISA...

  
• 05.20.2021

  Episode 202: Back in Steve’s Office

  Recording episode 202 was something of a milestone for us, because we met in Steve's office for an in-person recording for the first time since Before.  Wow!  We're grateful to be back in the "studio," and we found it was...

  
• 05.07.2021

  Episode 201: Revels, Revolts, and Reduxes…Part Deux

  Our latest episode is shorter than normal because...well, we recorded most of it and then lost the file.  Suffice to say we were a bit tired by the time the re-recording was done!  Or maybe we're better off this way? ...

  
• 04.20.2021

  Episode 200: 5% of the Way to Episode 4000!

  Thanks so much to everyone who attended (virtually) tonight's live recording of episode 200!  It was a blast. We covered: * The drawdown in Afghanistan and its legal implications (for the AUMF, detention, habeas litigation, the use of force, you-name-it) ...

  
• 04.13.2021

  Episode 199: Why Is There No SJA Aboard the Starship Enterprise?

  In this week's episode, co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss and debate: * The proposed Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (and DOJ's January 2021 response to an earlier version of the DTPA) * A pair of recent federal prosecutions involving...

  
• 04.05.2021

  Episode 198: What Tattoo Should Steve Get?

  Welcome back!  This week your co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss and debate: * The PCLOB's report on Executive Order 12,333 * The government's decision to shutter Camp 7 at GTMO, consolidating those detainees with others at Camp 5 ...

  
• 03.26.2021

  Episode 197: Statler and Waldorf

  Just in time for your weekend entertainment, NSL Podcast is back with a new episode. This time the show was recorded live before a (Zoom-based) audience of Texas Law alumni, which made for a nice change of pace!  Tune in...

  
• 03.10.2021

  Episode 196: Good…and Terrible!

  An extra-fun episode because we have an extra person with us tonight: Texas Law 3L Jake Bishop, our special guest host!  Jake, thanks for joining in the fun! Tune in, as Jake and co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss: *...

  
• 03.03.2021

  Episode 195: Sparkly Rainbow Snowboots!

  Well, it's been a while, thanks to the ice/snow/power/water fiasco we recently underwent in Texas.  But, though tired and not very prepared, we are back tonight!  Tune in as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss and debate: * The...