National Security Law Resources
The purpose of this guide is to identify resources on national security law and related interdisciplinary topics.
Access Icon Key
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Library Collection |
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Subscription Database (Law School Only) |
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Subscription Database (University-wide) |
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Bloomberg Law (Password Required) |
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Lexis (Password Required) |
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Westlaw (Password Required) |
Working Papers
Search for working papers on your topic:
- LawArXivThis source stopped accepting submissions in 2021, but the working papers previously submitted are archived here.
Articles Databases
Search the following databases for scholarly articles and reports:
(For a list of all databases available to GW Law faculty and students, see http://law.gwu.libguides.com/electronicresources/databases)
- Academic Search CompleteThis academic multi-disciplinary database provides than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. Coverage spans virtually every area of academic study and offers information dating as far back as 1887.
- AULIMPAir University Library Index to Military Periodicals. Covers significant articles, news items, and editorials appearing in English-language military and aeronautical periodicals.
- U.S. Declassified Documents OnlineProvides access to declassified U.S. government documents drawn from Presidential libraries.
- Digital Commons (BePress)The Digital Commons Network brings together free, full-text scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide.
- Google ScholarIndexes and links to articles available in various articles databases at GW.
- HeinOnlineContains historical and current collections of legal documents including a retrospective Law Journal Library.
- International Security & Counter Terrorism Reference CenterFull-text periodicals, news, reports, books, and proprietary background information summaries relating to terrorism and security.
- JSTOR: Security StudiesSearch for book chapters and articles on many security studies topics, from arms control to Westphalian sovereignty
- Legal SourceFull-text database for law journals. Includes all of the content from Index to Legal Periodicals plus additional titles.
- LegalTracIndex of articles in law reviews, law journals, and legal newspapers (1980 to date). Covers U.S., British Commonwealth, and E.U. law-related topics.
- Lexis+: Law Reviews & Journals
- Military & Government CollectionProvides indexing and selected full-text coverage for hundreds of journals and periodicals that offer news and analysis regarding the U.S. military.
- National Security ArchiveDeclassified documents regarding critical U.S. foreign policy decisions organized into 24 thematic collections.
- Nexis UniNote: Off-campus access only for GW Law patrons.
- Privacy and Data Security Practice CenterIncorporates all the content contained in Privacy & Security Law Report plus a number of new features, including full text of cases, and state and federal privacy statutes and regulations.
- ProQuest Advanced Technologies and Aerospace Databaseincludes the renowned Aerospace Database and provides full-text titles from around the world, including scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, and government publications.
- ProQuest Research Library PlusCovers a wide range of subject matter in both popular and scholarly periodicals
- SSRNSocial Science Research Network (SSRN) provides abstracts and some full-text working papers or accepted papers. One eLibrary is the National Security & Foreign Relations Law eJournal.
- Westlaw: Law Reviews, Texts & Bar Journals
Search specialized journals directly
- Guide to Homeland Security
- Harvard National Security Journal
- Journal of Counterterrorism and Homeland Security International
- Journal of National Security Law & Policy
- University of Miami National Security and Armed Conflict Law Review
- RAIL: The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & LawGo to Browse > Commentary > Law Journals and Reviews > Full Court Press to access journal.
CRS Reports
Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports provide more information about national security topics. While not all CRS Reports are released publicly, you may find many in the databases below.
For example:
- A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense, Dec. 3, 2020
- Intelligence Community Spending: Trends and Issues, updated November 6, 2019
The CRS also publishes a series of brief "Defense Primers" covering both defense and intelligence-related topics.
- Bloomberg LawReports are displayed in reverse chronological order.
- Congress.govIn 2018, Congress passed a law directing the creation of this site and ending the legal requirement prohibiting CRS from providing its products to the public.
- Federation of American Scientists (general topics)Provides open access to CRS reports on general national security topics.
- Federation of American Scientists (intelligence)Provides open access to CRS reports on Intelligence and related topics.
- HeinOnline's CRS ReportsReports are listed alphabetically by title.
- ProQuest CongressionalCRS reports from 1916- .
Government Reports & Gray Literature
Reports on security-related matters are produced by various government agencies as well as think tanks and other research organizations. Gray literature refers to recent publications not readily available via conventional searches.
- National Journal Central
- PAIS International
- PolicyFile
- Law Library of Congress: Legal Reports