(Philadelphia, February 1, 2022) – The Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL), a partner of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at Penn, today announced the appointment of three new board members who will advance the center’s mission to preserve and promote the rule of law in national security, warfare, and democratic governance.

“All three of CERL’s distinguished new board members have been champions of the rule of law in their respective domains,” said Professor Claire Finkelstein, faculty director of CERL. “Their diverse expertise and backgrounds, as well as longstanding service to the country, will greatly enrich CERL’s efforts to advance the rule of law. We are honored to welcome them to the CERL Executive Board.”

The new board members, who each have impressive legal experience with the U.S. government, bring the Executive Board to 21 members and two emeriti drawn from academia, business, the legal profession, the military, and the intelligence community.

The new board members include:
• Brigadier General (ret.) John G. Baker, former Chief Defense Counsel for the Military Commissions Defense Organization
• Mr. Stuart Gerson, Member of the Firm, Epstein Becker Green
• Mr. Harvey Rishikof, Visiting Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law

Brigadier General (ret.) John G. Baker is the incoming Federal Public Defender for the Western District of North Carolina. BGen Baker most recently served as the Chief Defense Counsel for the Military Commissions Defense Org. During his 32 years in the military, he held a variety of leadership and litigation billets. BGen Baker is a Distinguished Fellow for the National Institute of Military Justice, a Board Member for the Judge Advocate Association, and faculty at the National College of Capital Voir Dire.

“I have spent the last six years fighting injustice at Guantánamo Bay, and if I have learned nothing else in that fight, it is that now, more than ever, we need to preserve, promote, and defend the rule of law,” said BGen Baker. “The Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law has been at the forefront of this important mission, and I am thrilled and humbled to join their Executive Board.”

Mr. Stuart Gerson is a Member of the Firm at Epstein Becker Green. He represents health care, life sciences, and financial services clients in high-stakes civil and criminal matters nationwide. Mr. Gerson was appointed acting Attorney General of the United States during the early Clinton administration, after having served as President G.H.W. Bush’s appointee as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. He has also served as an advisor to several presidents.

“Having worked with CERL on several important and influential projects supporting the rule of law, I look forward to continuing and elevating that relationship through membership on CERL’s Board,” said Mr. Gerson. “Having served presidents of both parties, I am hopeful that my work might contribute to influencing the nation’s leaders and citizens across the political spectrum, particularly responsible moderates and conservatives, to undertake and support policies that strengthen individual rights and combat authoritarianism.”

Mr. Harvey Rishikof is a Visiting Professor of Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Mr. Rishikof is the former Director of Military Commissions and Convening Authority at DoD and the co-chair of the ABA National Task Force on Cybersecurity and the Law. Most recently, he was senior counsel at Crowell & Moring, dean of faculty at the National War College, and held a joint appointment at Drexel University in the law school and the iSchool, College of Information Science and Technology.

“It is a great pleasure and honor to join the distinguished CERL Board,” said Mr. Rishikof. “As the last two decades have shown, we need lawyers and policy makers to reaffirm their commitment to ethics and the rule of law. I look forward to working with the CERL team on the critical issues of our times and assisting in the programs and reports.”