Laurie Blank
Blank, clinical professor of law, has been appointed as special counsel to the general counsel of the US Department of Defense. The Office of the General Counsel provides advice to the secretary and deputy secretary of defense regarding all legal matters and policies. Professor Blank took leave from the Emory faculty for one year, beginning September 1, 2022, to take up her appointment in Washington, DC. Blank is director of the International Humanitarian Law Clinic at Emory University School of Law, where she teaches the law of armed conflict and works directly with students to assist international tribunals, nongovernmental organizations, and militaries around the world on cutting-edge issues in humanitarian law and human rights. In her role as special counsel, Blank will focus primarily on the law of armed conflict and national security law. “I am incredibly excited about this opportunity to support the work of the general counsel. As the conflict in Ukraine highlights, this is a time of extraordinary tension and change in the international arena. I am honored to have this opportunity to contribute and look forward to getting to work on challenging issues with the talented and dedicated attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel.”
Kristen N. Johnson
Johnson, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, was unanimously confirmed by the US Senate to serve a three-year term as a commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Johnson is an internationally recognized expert on financial markets regulation and corporate governance, compliance, and risk management. Her recent research examines the implications of introducing cryptocurrencies and stablecoins in the financial markets ecosystem. In addition, Johnson’s recent work explores broader technological innovations in society such as the integration of artificial intelligence technologies in commercial and consumer financial transactions, transfers, and assessments. The CFTC’s regulatory authority over the derivatives markets includes policing fraud and manipulation in the markets for commodities such as gasoline and food. Johnson oversees the Commission’s Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC) and subcommittees focused on market structure and market risk management, climate risk in financial markets, and financial benchmark reforms.
Matt Lawrence
Lawrence is associate professor of law; he researches and publishes on health care finance, administrative law, and addictions. This semester, Lawrence is serving as special advisor to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency. In addition to his teaching and scholarship, Lawrence possesses a wealth of experience in the federal government. He most recently served as a special legal advisor to the US House of Representatives Budget Committee (Majority). Previously, he worked on health care regulatory issues during the Obama and Trump Administrations as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Federal Programs Branch and attorney advisor in the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of General Counsel in the Executive Office of the President. In 2016, he received an individual special commendation award for his defense of Affordable Care Act programs while serving as trial attorney in the US Department of Justice.
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