Austin, Texas and New York, USA / London, UK Expert on constitutional law, security and globalisation
Author of prize winning "Terror and Consent" (2008) and "The Shield of Achilles" (2002)
Named among "Top 100 Public Intellectuals" by Prospect magazine
“Brilliant… This is quite simply the most profound book to have been written on the subject of American foreign policy since the attacks of 9/11, indeed since the end of the Cold War.” – Niall Ferguson on Terror and Consent
Dr. Philip Bobbitt is a leading expert on US constitutional law, international security and the politics of globalisation. He is author of the best-selling “The Shield of Achilles” (Knopf, 2002), which argues that the emergence of the “market state” in the 21st century will fundamentally reshape the international order. His follow-up was the highly influential “Terror and Consent” (Knopf, 2008) which analyses the threat of globalised terrorism and puts forward possible solutions. It has already become a classic international security text, hailed as essential reading by David Cameron and Tony Blair alike.
A prolific public servant, Philip has held many important positions in the US court system and legislative branch. These include serving as Associate Counsel to the President for Intelligence and International Security under Jimmy Carter in the 1970s; Legal Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on the Iran-Contra Affair; Counselor on International Law for the Department of State under George H. W. Bush; and Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the National Security Council under Clinton. He also served as the Senior Director for Critical Infrastructure and Director for Intelligence Programs, where he was the principal draftsman of Presidential Decision Directive 63, the first US presidential policy on cyberprotection. He currently sits on the Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on International Law.
Philip has also held many distinguished academic posts as a scholar of law and modern history. A senior research fellow at Oxford (1984-90) and Kings’ College, University of London (1993-97), he was also a visiting Professor at Harvard Law School (2005), Columbia Law School (2007) and held a chair at University of Texas. He is currently Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the Centre for National Security at Columbia University.
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"One of the finest political thinkers of his generation, Philip is brilliant on topics such as whether the west is in decline, future scenarios for the state, international security and risk, and geopolitics in the face of globalisation. He is perfect for top level audiences that want to think deeply about the way the world works."