Joe D. Whitley, general counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will speak at the School of Law on Feb. 21. His lecture
will focus on the structure and function of the DHS as well as the U.S. Patriot Act. Open to the public, the program will begin at 12:30 p.m. in classroom A and will be followed by a reception.
Whitley became chief legal adviser of DHS in August 2003. In this position, he advises the department’s secretary and ensures that all actions of the DHS meet legal requirements. As such, he oversees approximately 1,500 lawyers from 22 different agencies, including the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, Border and Transportation Security, the Transportation Security Administration, Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, and Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Previously Whitley was U.S. associate attorney general, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia and U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. He was also a partner at the law firm Alston and Bird, where he led the government enforcement and investigations group. Whitley received his undergraduate and law degrees from UGA.
The event will be hosted by the law school’s Federalist Society, an organization that seeks to encourage discussion about public policy and the law by sponsoring debates and prominent speakers.
