Roger Hertog Program on Law and National Security | Columbia Law School

David S. Kris

Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice

David S. Kris was sworn in as assistant attorney general for national security on March 25, 2009. Mr. Kris has worked in both the public and private sectors. He served in the Department of Justice from 1992 to 2003. From September 1992 to July 2000, Mr. Kris was an attorney in the Criminal Division, where he worked primarily in appellate litigation. As associate deputy attorney general from July 2000 to May 2003, Mr. Kris’ work focused on national security issues, including supervising the government’s use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, representing the department at the National Security Council, and assisting the attorney general in conducting oversight of the intelligence community. He has received numerous awards for his public service, including the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service in 1999 and 2002.
Prior to his confirmation as assistant attorney general, Mr. Kris served in several capacities for Time Warner, Inc., including deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer. Mr. Kris also taught at Georgetown University Law Center and served as a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Mr. Kris graduated from Haverford College in 1988 and from Harvard Law School in 1991. Following law school, he served as a law clerk for Judge Stephen S. Trott of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Mr. Kris is married and has two children.

The Role of the Intelligence Community in Addressing Homegrown Violent Extremism
October 5, 2010, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Columbia Law School, Jerome Greene Hall 103

In the fight against terrorists, we must be relentlessly pragmatic and empirical. We must disregard any preconceived notions regarding what methods will be most suitable, look dispassionately at the facts, and then respond to those facts using whatever methods—including law enforcement—will best lead us to victory. In his talk, Assistant Attorney General for National Security David S. Kris will discuss the role of law enforcement as a counterterrorism tool. Mr. Kris will examine the recent history of U.S. counterterrorism strategy; provide a conceptual framework for thinking about how law enforcement can disrupt plots, incapacitate terrorists, and collect intelligence; and describe how law enforcement has been used in coordination with other vital counterterrorism methods.