Presented by the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School, this conference will feature a review of the status of the Church Committee reforms of 1975 and Congress' ability to oversee classified programs. The overall theme of the conference will be the mechanics, difficulties and importance of congressional oversight of intelligence activities, in particular how to oversee covert operations, secret budgets and classified materials. This conference will look at one of the most successful reviews of secret or covert activities by the CIA, the Church Committee investigation, and glean the lessons learned from the conduct of that committee. The conference will address the complex interaction of the oversight responsibilities of Congress with the classification of national security secrets by the Executive Branch and identify ways in which the two interests can be satisfied.

WilmerHale Partner Benjamin Powell will be a featured speaker at the program.