September 11, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that fundamentally changed the nation’s legal framework for countering international terrorism and the executive branch institutions charged with preventing future attacks. The national security threat landscape has evolved substantially since then, as have intelligence and law enforcement activities related to both international and domestic terrorism in the United States.
Join CNAS on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET for a live discussion reflecting on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and U.S. counterterrorism efforts with opening remarks from Matthew Olsen, former assistant attorney general for national security and former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, followed by a panel discussion featuring Jonathan Lenzner, former FBI chief of staff and partner at Fenwick; Matthew Waxman, Liviu Librescu professor of law at Columbia Law School; and Carrie Cordero, Robert M. Gates senior fellow and general counsel at CNAS. The conversation will be moderated by Charlie Savage, a Washington correspondent at The New York Times.
Panelists will reflect on the evolution of counterterrorism law in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the future of counterterrorism law, policy, and investigations, both international and domestic, in the years ahead.