National Security Law Today

What happens when the encryption protecting today’s secrets can no longer keep them safe? To launch our series on quantum computing, Elisa is joined by Paul Stimers, partner at Holland & Knight and founder and executive director of the Quantum Industry Coalition, to explore what quantum advances could mean for national security. They break down the basics of quantum computing, the prospect of “Q-Day,” and the threat of adversaries harvesting encrypted data now to decrypt later. Together, they discuss post-quantum cryptography, the importance of adapting to evolving cyber threats, and why preparing for the quantum era matters for government agencies, businesses, and anyone holding sensitive information.Paul Stimers is a partner at Holland & Knight and the founder and executive director of the Quantum Industry Coalition.References:E.O. 14413 – Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum InnovationE.O. 14412 – Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic AttacksPub. L. 115-368 – National Quantum Initiative ActH.R. 8462 – National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization ActS. 3597 – National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography StandardsOuter Space Treaty (1967)Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (1979)The Artemis Accords (2020)Pub. L. 114-90 – U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act

In his keynote address at the ABA’s 36th Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law CLE Conference, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman makes an urgent case for rethinking how we manage technology and our relationships with one another. Joined in conversation by Glenn S. Gerstell, Chair of the Standing Committee on Law and National Security, Friedman explores AI’s extraordinary promise and the dangers of moving faster than our ability to govern it. Their discussion spans U.S.–China competition, the spread of powerful technologies, and lessons from decades of conflict in the Middle East. Drawing on a lifetime of reporting, Friedman asks what it will take for rival nations to recognize their shared stakes and work together before a crisis forces their hand.Thomas L. Friedman is a foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author of seven bestselling books, including The World Is Flat and From Beirut to Jerusalem.Glenn S. Gerstell is Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security, a Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and former General Counsel of the National Security Agency.

Recorded live on September 29th at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C., this episode brings together host Elisa Poteat, Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, USAF (Ret.), former DCSA Director David Cattler, and Professor Gary Corn to explore this changing landscape. Drawing on their experience in military AI, intelligence, and national security law, the speakers offer perspectives on what these advances mean for defense and military operations. Together, they consider how national security strategy and law can keep pace as emerging technologies reshape the battlefield.Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, USAF (Ret.), was the inaugural director of the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and the founding director of Project Maven, pioneering the use of AI in military operations and intelligence.David Cattler is a senior strategic advisor and founder of Ironhelm Works who previously served as director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security.Professor Gary Corn is director of the Technology, Law & Security Program at American University, and an adjunct professor of cyber and national security law who previously served as general counsel to U.S. Cyber Command.

Elisa Poteat and Standing Committee Chair Glenn Gerstell preview the 36th Annual Review of National Security Law CLE Conference, AI and Disruptive Technologies: Transforming National Security and the Law. The conference will feature top experts from legal and policy fields discussing AI safety, geopolitical competition, emerging warfare, quantum computing, election security, and more. With keynote conversations, networking opportunities, and up to 10 hours of CLE credit available, the conference offers a chance to engage directly with the issues shaping the future of national security law.Don't miss out! Early bird registration is still open for the 36th Annual Review of National Security Law CLE Conference – Oct. 8th-9th, at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DCGlenn S. Gerstell is Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security, a Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and former General Counsel of the National Security Agency

The U.S. and China are both racing to advance artificial intelligence, but they may not be running the same race. Graham Webster, research scholar at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, joins Elisa Poteat to examine China’s rapidly evolving AI ecosystem, from open-weight reasoning models and semiconductor constraints to Beijing’s approach to regulation and risk. They explore what China means by keeping AI “under human control,” how Chinese and American policymakers perceive AI safety differently, and whether competition between the two countries is obscuring a much more complicated technological landscape.Graham Webster is a research scholar in Stanford University’s Program on Geopolitics, Technology, and Governance and editor-in-chief of the DigiChina Project, where his work focuses on technology policy in China and U.S.–China relations.References:Graham Webster, “Will China Crack Down on Open-Weight Models?” Tech Policy Press, August 17, 2026Graham Webster, Here It Comes, SubstackGraham Webster, Here It Comes with Graham Webster, Apple PodcastsXi Jinping, “Joining Hands to Build a Just and Equitable System for Global AI Governance,” 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, July 17, 2026Dario Amodei, “We Must Pace the Frontier,” September 2026State Council of the People’s Republic of China, “New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan,” July 20, 2017“Internet Information Service Algorithmic Recommendation Management Provisions,” effective March 1, 2022The Wall Street Journal, “China Also Thinks AI Could Kill Us. But First, It Wants to Match the U.S.,” September 14, 2026