Foundation for Defense of Democracies

David B. Rivkin, Jr., is a partner in the Washington office of Baker Hostetler LLP.  He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Nixon Center and a Contributing Editor of the National Review magazine.

David B. Rivkin, Jr., is a partner in the Washington office of Baker Hostetler LLP.  He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Nixon Center and a Contributing Editor of the National Review magazine.

Mr. Rivkin specializes in regulatory - e.g., energy and environmental matters -- and appellate litigation work, with a particular emphasis on complex constitutional and public policy issues.  Before returning to the private sector in 1993, he served in a variety of legal and policy positions in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush  Administrations, including stints at the White House Counsel's office, Office of the Vice President and the Departments of Justice and Energy.  While in the government, he handled a variety of national security and domestic issues, including environmental and energy policy, tax, trade and constitutional issues.  Prior to embarking on a legal career, he served during the 1970s and 1980s as a defense and foreign policy analyst, focusing on Soviet affairs, arms control, naval strategy and NATO-related issues. Mr. Rivkin holds a JD degree from Columbia University Law School, a Masters degree in Soviet Affairs from Georgetown University, and a Bachelors of Science degree from the Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.

Mr. Rivkin is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a prolific writer and commentator and, over the years, has published numerous papers, articles, op eds, book reviews, and book chapters on a variety of international, legal, constitutional, defense, arms control, foreign policy, environmental and energy issues for various newspapers and magazines, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, National Interest, National Review, Policy Review, Harvard Journal of Law & Policy, American University Law Review, Administrative Law Journal, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and University of Chicago Journal of International Law.  In particular, Mr. Rivkin has written widely about various aspects of the international law of armed conflict, including jus in bello, treatment of unlawful combatants and jus ad bellum-related matters.  He has been a frequent commentator and guest on TV and radio shows, including CNN, NBC and MSNBC, CBS, ABC/Nightline, FOX News, NPR, PBS, BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and numerous Australian, French, German and Swiss TV stations.