UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students enrolled in the National Security Law II course at Penn State Law in University Park have prepared for months to face the President of the United States. This past week, they got their chance: On Feb. 15, students participated in a simulated National Security Council (NSC) meeting designed to replicate the fast-moving realities of responding to national security threats.

Students were split into two groups and given the roles of various professionals in the field of national security. The role of President of the United States was shared between the Honorable Mary Beth Long, professor of practice at the Penn State School of International Affairs and former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs; and retired U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, former commander of the U.S. Southern Command.

The presence of Long and Faller at the simulation added another level of realism to the exercise.

“For this simulation, rather than have a regular meeting with the students for which they were well-prepared, I ambushed them for the first few minutes to try to derail the meeting and get them out of their comfort zone,” Long said. “But the students did an amazing job — when I tried to inject more stress into the situation, they handled it really well, which is a credit to their preparation and self-confidence. I would work in the National Security Council with any one of them.”

The simulation is one component of the innovative Penn State Law course taught by Vice Admiral (Ret.) James W. Houck, interim dean of Penn State Law in University Park and the School of International Affairs.

“This is a unique course that is designed to simulate legal practice in the national security environment while also developing leadership and communication skills,” Houck said. “Beyond those interested in leadership and national security specifically, this course is relevant to any student who wants to improve their critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills while operating on a high-stakes deadline.”

Applied learning

For students, the mock crisis was an opportunity to experience the interplay of national security law, politics, and policy, during a developing threat to the country and to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a realistic situation. Students begin building a foundation with National Security Law I, taught in the fall, and can choose to continue with National Security Law II in the spring.

“This course has allowed me to hone practical and technical skills that are not typically taught in law school courses,” said Christian Jay Myers, a second-year law student who, along with third-year law student Micaela Hyams, played the part of national security adviser during the simulation.

As the simulation’s national security adviser, Myers was in charge of organizing the NSC meeting and ensuring that the president received coherent options and left the meeting with credible recommendations.

“My role in the simulation enabled me to lead a team of 23 students towards accomplishing our shared goals," Myers said. "Such leadership development is beneficial in any realm of one’s life, whether personally, professionally, or academically.”

A Lesson in Leadership

In the simulations in National Security Law II, students replicate legal practice in the national security environment, which gives them a chance to explore legal issues in situations of competing domestic and international political interests.

Kirstyn Watson, a third-year student who will be working in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office after graduation, said the impact for students’ career development extends beyond national security professions.

“The most valuable takeaway from this course, from my perspective, was the development of leadership skills that are applicable far beyond the national security context,” Watson said. “You learn what it means to be a good leader in a variety of roles. I learned which type of leadership style I find the most effective for a supervisor. I also learned that it’s possible to be a leader even from a subordinate position by being proactive and prepared.”

Throughout the course, students experience what it is like to work under strict time constraints in situations with many voices across various jurisdictions with the potential for mass casualties.

“Beyond learning about national security law from Vice Admiral Houck in an academic sense, working with him has allowed me to learn, through observation, what strong, selfless leadership looks like in times of crisis,” said Garvey McKee, a third-year law student who will join the Navy JAG Corps after graduation.

“(National Security Law II) opened my eyes to the fact that a lot of important decisions in times of crisis have to be made based on limited, incomplete, or unclear information,” McKee said. “I have learned that to be successful working in national security, you have to learn to get comfortable making important, well-reasoned decisions without necessarily knowing all of the facts.”