The First Move: Presidential Power, AUMFs, and the Legal Architecture of Starting Modern Wars
Hosted by the National Security Law Journal and the National Security Institute
Event Overview:
Part of the 2025–26 symposium series, Starting and Ending Wars: Charting a Course from Conflict to Resolution in the 21st Century, this panel will examine the domestic and international legal authorities underpinning the decision to use military force—and how those frameworks apply in modern conflicts against both state and non-state actors.
Panelists will assess the continued relevance of post-9/11 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs), the scope of the President’s inherent Article II powers, and the evolution of Rules of Engagement. The discussion will compare the legal and strategic predicates for state-on-state conflicts such as Russia’s war in Ukraine with the United States’ prolonged unconventional engagements around the globe.
Speakers:
Governor James “Jim” Gilmore III – Former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); 68th Governor of Virginia
Professor Paul Ahern – Adjunct Professor, Antonin Scalia Law School
Katie McCabe Chaudoin – Senior Counsel, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Staff
Mark Iozzi – Deputy Counsel, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Staff
Moderator:
Corin Stone – Chief Counsel and Senior Advisor, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)
MORE SPEAKERS TO BE ANNOUNCED!
Event Details:
Date: Friday, November 14, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Location: Hazel Hall
3301 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA
Food Provided
Speakers
Governor James “Jim” Gilmore III
Governor Gilmore is a U.S. Army counter-intelligence veteran, UVA Law graduate, and longtime public servant. He served as Virginia’s Attorney General and Governor, chaired the congressional “Gilmore Commission” on terrorism preparedness, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE in 2019. His career spans law, public service, and foreign policy, with recent engagements across Europe addressing transatlantic security and the Russian threat.
Professor Paul Ahern
Paul Ahern an Adjunct Professor at Antonin Scalia Law School.
Katie McCabe Chaudoin
Ktie McCabe Chaudoin serves as Senior Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Chairman’s staff). Prior to joining the committee, she served as lead advisor for national security issues to Senator Martha McSally, handling the Senate Armed Services Committee portfolio. Previously, she worked in the Georgia congressional delegation as a Counsel to former Senator David Perdue.
Moderator
Corin Stone
Ms. Stone is a senior national security lawyer and executive with more than two decades of leadership across the U.S. government, including at DoD, NSA, ODNI, State, and in the U.S. Senate. As DoD’s Principal Deputy General Counsel, she oversaw legal operations across the Department and advised senior leadership on operations, acquisition, data and AI, and international law. She has served as Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Strategy & Engagement and Executive Director of the NSA, and currently leads CRS Consulting, advising on national security law and policy.