Judge James E. Baker
Adjunct Professor of Law
James Baker was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces on September 19, 2000. The Court is composed of five civilian judges appointed for 15-year terms by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Court has appellate jurisdiction over cases arising under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Decisions of the Court are subject to review by the United States Supreme Court.
Judge Baker previously served as Special Assistant to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (NSC) (1997-2000), where he advised the President, the National Security Advisor and the NSC staff on U.S. and international law involving national security, including: use of force, the law of armed conflict, intelligence activities, foreign assistance, terrorism, arms control, human rights, and international law enforcement. Judge Baker also served as Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (1994-1997) and as Counsel to the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and Intelligence Oversight Board. As an attorney adviser in the Office of the Legal Advisor, Department of State, he provided advice on law enforcement, intelligence, and counter-terrorism and served as legal adviser to U.S. delegations to various environmental negotiations. Judge Baker served as a legislative aide and acting Chief of Staff to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1985-1987). Judge Baker is the author of In the Common Defense: National Security Law for Perilous Times (Cambridge University Press: 2007) and, with Michael Reisman, Regulating Covert Action (Yale University Press: 1992).
Upon graduating from college, Judge Baker received a Reserve commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He subsequently earned a regular commission at The Basic School before joining the Fleet Marine Force where he served as a rifle platoon leader, weapons platoon leader, company executive officer and as an aide-de-camp. While an undergraduate, Judge Baker attended the Platoon Leaders Class. He finished first in his class at Officer Candidates School, for which Yale received the Commandant’s Trophy. Judge Baker resigned his Reserve commission upon joining the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Judge Baker is the recipient of the 1999 Colonel Nelson Drew Memorial Award, the NSC’s highest honor. The award recognizes “distinguished contributions to the formation of peaceful, cooperative relationships between states, and U.S. security policy for global peace.” He is also the recipient of the Director of Central Intelligence's "Director's Award."
Judge Baker was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Yale College (1982) and Yale Law School (1990). He teaches national security law at the University of Iowa College of Law and Georgetown University Law Center. He is married to Lori Neal Baker of Springfield, Virginia. They live with their daughter, Jamie, and son, Grant, in Virginia.
Judge Baker previously served as Special Assistant to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (NSC) (1997-2000), where he advised the President, the National Security Advisor and the NSC staff on U.S. and international law involving national security, including: use of force, the law of armed conflict, intelligence activities, foreign assistance, terrorism, arms control, human rights, and international law enforcement. Judge Baker also served as Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (1994-1997) and as Counsel to the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and Intelligence Oversight Board. As an attorney adviser in the Office of the Legal Advisor, Department of State, he provided advice on law enforcement, intelligence, and counter-terrorism and served as legal adviser to U.S. delegations to various environmental negotiations. Judge Baker served as a legislative aide and acting Chief of Staff to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1985-1987). Judge Baker is the author of In the Common Defense: National Security Law for Perilous Times (Cambridge University Press: 2007) and, with Michael Reisman, Regulating Covert Action (Yale University Press: 1992).
Upon graduating from college, Judge Baker received a Reserve commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He subsequently earned a regular commission at The Basic School before joining the Fleet Marine Force where he served as a rifle platoon leader, weapons platoon leader, company executive officer and as an aide-de-camp. While an undergraduate, Judge Baker attended the Platoon Leaders Class. He finished first in his class at Officer Candidates School, for which Yale received the Commandant’s Trophy. Judge Baker resigned his Reserve commission upon joining the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Judge Baker is the recipient of the 1999 Colonel Nelson Drew Memorial Award, the NSC’s highest honor. The award recognizes “distinguished contributions to the formation of peaceful, cooperative relationships between states, and U.S. security policy for global peace.” He is also the recipient of the Director of Central Intelligence's "Director's Award."
Judge Baker was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Yale College (1982) and Yale Law School (1990). He teaches national security law at the University of Iowa College of Law and Georgetown University Law Center. He is married to Lori Neal Baker of Springfield, Virginia. They live with their daughter, Jamie, and son, Grant, in Virginia.
Currently Teaching
- Judge James E. Baker is not teaching during the 2008-09 academic year.
Courses Previously Taught
- Managing National Security