Welcome Letter from the President

Friends--

As the 2007-2008 International President of the National Security and Law Society, it is a pleasure to write you and announce the many changes that are underway in our organization.

To begin with the largest change, we have a new International Executive Committee. Many of you have already spoken with or met the new Committee members, and the rest of you will certainly have the opportunity over the next year. Each of us is available to you at any time, and our contact information is here.

You will notice in the list that we have two additional positions on the IEC: Director of Public Affairs and Director-at-Large. These are appointed positions that we have created to improve the functioning of the organization. Here are the job descriptions:

"The International Director of Public Affairs shall: (1) coordinate the development and operation of the NSLS website and email listserv; (2) seek greater media exposure for NSLS through press releases and the development of relationships with media outlets; and (3) develop print materials by or about NSLS that will promote the goals of the organization."

"The International Director-at-Large shall: (1) maintain communication between the general membership and the International Executive Committee, ensuring that the International Executive Committee is acting in the best interest of the membership; (2) assist with membership recruitment and retention; and (3) represents the general membership on issues of interest or concern, particularly those that arise outside of the standing committee structure."

A second change is our selection of new Professional Advisors. We are very lucky to have two experienced and respected individuals in these positions. The first is James Olson, former CIA covert operative and professor at the Bush School of Government & Public Service. The second is Patrick Crawford, who comes to us with a breadth of experience including positions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the White House, and the US Army.

Third, our website is undergoing major changes. We are hoping to make the site much more dynamic, with interactive features and useful resources for new chapters. The website will soon host a new chapter packet, copies of organizational documents, minutes of IEC meetings, and a database of professional contacts. We'd love to hear any other ideas your chapter may have, and we always welcome volunteers to help provide content.

Fourth, we are growing, and we are creating new structures to make sure that this growth encourages greater cooperation and participation throughout the organization. We have moved forward in the creation of District Coordinator positions, and three districts now have active coordinators -- Great Lakes, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic. The DC for the Great Lakes district is Dana Lobelle (Chicago-Kent, dlobelle@kentlaw.edu), the Midwest DC is Joshua Bobich (William Mitchell, joshua.bobich@wmitchell.edu), and the Mid-Atlantic DC is Octavia Shulman, University of Maryland, octavia.shulman@gmail.com). If you are from one of the other districts and you are interested in being a District Coordinator, please contact us.

Finally, we are moving on EMININT and the NSLS Annual Convention. We have already heard from a number of schools that are interested in hosting these events, and we'll soon be sending out a formal request for candidate schools. If you are interested in hosting EMININT and the Convention, please begin discussing it with your members and your school administration.

The next year will be quite exciting for our organization. We are experiencing a surge of interest from students and practicing professionals, and our opportunities are at an all-time high. I sincerely hope that each of you will continue your involvement in the National Security and Law Society--in your chapters, in your districts, and on the national and international level.

Regards,