Carrie Cordero

Center for a New American Security (CNAS) — Senior Fellow



Carrie Cordero is the Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow and General Counsel at the Center for a New American Security. Her research and writing interests focus on intelligence community oversight, transparency, surveillance, cybersecurity and related national and homeland security law and policy issues. She is also an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown Law and a CNN legal and national security analyst.

Ms. Cordero spent the first part of her career in public service, including as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Senior Associate General Counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, during which time she handled critical counterterrorism and counterintelligence investigations and appeared frequently before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. At the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, she worked extensively on developing policies, procedures and processes relating to oversight, compliance and protection of privacy and civil liberties in the context of government national security investigations and intelligence activities. She also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. After leaving government service, Ms. Cordero was the Director of National Security Studies at Georgetown Law, and was in private practice, handling matters related to surveillance, law enforcement response, security and privacy. She has testified before the United States Congress on surveillance reform and foreign influence on democratic institutions.

Ms. Cordero earned her JD, cum laude, from Washington College of Law, American University, and BA, magna cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Know What’s Next