Sean M. Watts

Professor Watt’s primary research interest is international legal regulation of emerging forms of warfare. From 2010-2012 he participated in drafting the Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the NATO Collective Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCD COE), engaged in drafting an update to the Tallinn Manual. From 2009-2011 he served as a defense team member in Gotovina et al. at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia.
Professor Watts also serves as an Instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point in his capacity as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army JAG Reserve. Prior to teaching, Professor Watts served as an active-duty U.S. Army officer for fifteen years in legal and operational assignments including: Professor of International Law at the Army JAG School, Rule of Law Advisor to the Afghan National Army and Ministry of Defense, Chief of Federal Tort Claims, Trial Defense Counsel, Chief of International and Operational Law, Tank Company Executive Officer, and Tank Platoon Leader in a U.S. Army Tank Battalion.
Professor Watts was recently awarded Creighton School of Law’s Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year and the American Society of International Law (ASIL) Francis Lieber Military Prize.