TWEET IT: .@ConPro hosts #FISA reform panel .@ConstitutionCtr w/ .@SenBlumenthal, James Robertson, @POGOBlog. 3/18. http://bit.ly/1h63J82

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS: Lauren Saul Larry Akey National Constitution Center Constitution Project 215-409-6895 202-580-6922 [email protected] [email protected]

LIFTING THE VEIL ON THE FISA COURT WITH U.S. SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL

Senator Blumenthal’s keynote address to be followed by panel discussion with former FISA judge James Robertson, among others

Philadelphia, PA (February 24, 2014) – In the wake of Edward Snowden’s leak of National Security Agency documents to the press, a secret body of law—the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA)—also has come under scrutiny. The National Constitution Center hosts The Constitution Project and Senator Richard Blumenthal of —who recently introduced new bills that would ensure the FISA court balance the need to protect national security with constitutional requirements to safeguard an individual’s rights to privacy and liberty—in a special event on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 12 p.m. Senator Blumenthal will deliver a keynote address, touching on these proposed changes in detail, followed by a compelling panel discussion including M.E. "Spike" Bowman, recently retired Director of the Intelligence Issues and Policy Group (National Security Branch) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy at the Project on Government Oversight, Alexander W. Joel, Civil Liberties Protection Officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and former FISA judge James Robertson. The panel will be moderated by National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen.

Admission to the program is FREE, but reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 215-409-6700 or visiting constitutioncenter.org.

In August of 2013, Senator Richard Blumenthal unveiled major legislation to reform the FISA Court. The first bill—the FISA Court Reform Act of 2013—would create a Special Advocate with the power to argue in the FISA courts on behalf of the right to privacy and other individual rights of the American people. The second bill—the FISA Judge Selection Reform Act—would reform how judges are appointed to the FISA courts to -MORE-

ADD ONE/FISA COURT ensure that the court is geographically and ideologically diverse and better reflects the full diversity of perspectives on questions of national security, privacy, and liberty. FISA court judges are appointed by the Supreme Court Chief Justice

Sworn in on January 5, 2011, Richard Blumenthal is serving his first term as a Senator from the State of Connecticut. Blumenthal served an unprecedented five terms as Connecticut’s Attorney General. From 1977 – 1981, Senator Blumenthal served as a U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, prosecuting drug trafficking, organized and white collar crime, civil rights violations, consumer , and environmental pollution. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984 – 1987, and the from 1987 – 1990. Senator Blumenthal graduated from (, Magna Cum Laude), and , where he was Editor-in-Chief of the .

M. E. (Spike) Bowman is a specialist in national security affairs. He was most recently the Deputy, National Counterintelligence Executive. Previously, he was Senior Research Fellow at the National Defense University (Center for Technology and National Security Policy). He is retired from the Senior Executive Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation where he served successively as Deputy General Counsel (National Security Law) Senior Counsel for National Security Law and Director, Intelligence Issues and Policy Group (National Security Branch). He is a former intelligence officer, an international lawyer and a recognized specialist in national security law with extensive experience in espionage and terrorism investigations. In addition to national security experience he is a retired U.S. Navy Captain who has served as Head of International Law at the Naval War College, as a diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy and as Chief of Litigation for the U.S. Navy. Bowman is a graduate of Willamette University (B.A.), the University of Wisconsin (M.A.), the University of Idaho (J.D., Cum Laude) and The George Washington University (LL.M., International Law and Comparative Legal Systems, with Highest Honors).

Angela Canterbury is the Director of Public Policy at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO). An experienced advocate, policy analyst, and public campaign strategist, Canterbury advances public policies to combat corruption and to promote openness and accountability in government. She has been instrumental in efforts that -MORE-

ADD TWO/FISA COURT have improved lobbying and congressional ethics rules, whistleblower protections, the Freedom of Information Act, and other open government initiatives. Prior to joining POGO, Canterbury worked with Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division and with the League of Women Voters of the U.S. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

Alexander W. Joel is the Civil Liberties Protection Officer for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The ODNI leads the nation's intelligence agencies. Joel is the director of the ODNI's Civil Liberties and Privacy Office, and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence. Appointed in 2005, Joel’s responsibilities include ensuring that the protection of privacy and civil liberties is appropriately incorporated in the policies and procedures of intelligence agencies. Joel has more than a decade of experience with privacy, technology, and national security law. Prior to joining the government, Joel served as the privacy, technology, and e-commerce attorney for Marriott International, Inc., where he helped establish and implement Marriott's global privacy compliance program. Joel received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1987, magna cum laude, where he was a member of the Michigan Law Review. He received his B.A. degree from Princeton University in 1984, magna cum laude.

James Robertson served with distinction as a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia for more than 15 years before his retirement on June 1, 2010, presiding over a docket that included a broad range of complex federal civil cases. While an active federal judge, he served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. He also served on the Judicial Conference Committee on Information Technology for eight years and was its chair from 2003 – 2005. Prior to Judge Robertson’s appointment to the federal bench, he was in private law practice for 25 years with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. Robertson graduated from Princeton University in 1959 and received an LL.B. from George Washington University Law School in 1965. He is currently serving as arbitrator and mediator for JAMS, a private provider of dispute resolution services.

About The Constitution Project The Constitution Project (TCP) brings together policy experts and legal practitioners -MORE-

ADD THREE/FISA COURT from across the political spectrum to foster consensus-based solutions to the most difficult constitutional challenges of our time. TCP seeks to reform the criminal justice system and to strengthen the rule of law through scholarship, advocacy, policy reform, and public education initiatives. Established in 1997, TCP is based in Washington, D.C. Learn more at constitutionproject.org

About the National Constitution Center The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia is the Museum of We the People, America’s Town Hall, and a Headquarters for Civic Education. As the Museum of We the People, the National Constitution Center brings the United States Constitution to life for visitors of all ages and inspires active citizenship by celebrating the American constitutional tradition. The museum features interactive exhibits, engaging theatrical performances, and original documents of freedom. As the only institution established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a non- partisan basis,” the National Constitution Center serves as a Headquarters for Civic Education—offering cutting-edge learning resources including the premier online Interactive Constitution. As America’s Town Hall, the National Constitution Center hosts timely constitutional conversations uniting distinguished leaders, scholars, authors, and journalists from across the political spectrum. For more information, call 215-409- 6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.

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