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David Schanzer

Duke UniversityAreas of Expertise:
Homeland Security 
  
David Schanzer is the Director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. In addition, he is a Visiting Associate Professor of the Practice in the Department of Public Policy, Duke University, and an Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Policy, University of North Carolina. Schanzer graduated from Harvard College in 1985 and Harvard Law School in 1989. Upon receiving his law degree, he served as a law clerk in the Office of the Solicitor General, United States Department of Justice, and subsequently for the Honorable Norma L. Shapiro in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In 1992, he became a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice. In 1994, he moved to the legislative branch as counsel for Senator William S. Cohen, first on the Senate Judiciary Committee and subsequently on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. Upon Senator Cohen’s retirement, he became counsel to Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 1998, Schanzer moved to the Pentagon to serve as Special Counsel to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense. He served in that capacity until 2001, when he was appointed Legislative Director to Senator Jean A. Carnahan of Missouri. In 2003, Schanzer joined the staff of the Select Committee on Homeland Security of the United States House of Representatives, and became Minority Staff Director in June, 2003. Under his leadership, the staff issued over a dozen oversight reports on terrorism and homeland security issues, including “America At Risk: Closing the Security Gap,” “Winning the War on Terror,” and “Transforming the Southern Border.”