Michael N. Schmitt is an American international law scholar specializing in international humanitarian law, use of force issues, and the international law applicable to cyberspace. He is Professor of Public International Law at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

, the G. Norman Lieber Distinguished Scholar at th
Lieber Institute
of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

at West Point, and the Charles H. Stockto
Distinguished Scholar in Residence
at the US

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

Education

He has a

D.Litt. Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

from

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

;

LL.M. A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...

from

Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...

; JD from the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

Law School; MA from the

; and an MA and BA from

Texas State University Texas State University (TXST) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in San Marcos, Texas, United States, and another campus in Round Rock, Texas, Round Rock. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has ...

Career

From 1979–99, Schmitt served in the United States Air Force as a judge advocate. He graduated first in class from the Naval War College in 1996, and his operational law experience includes service in both

Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...

and

Operation Northern Watch Operation Northern Watch (ONW), the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission began on 1 January 1997. The coalition partn ...

. In 1999, he was appointed Professor of International Law at the

George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies is a bi-national United States Department of Defense and Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany) security and defense studies institute. When the Marshall Center was founded in 1993, its ...

in Garmisch, Germany, eventually becoming Dean. He was subsequently Chair of Public International Law at

and at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

. He returned to the Naval War College as Chairman of the Stockton Center and

Charles H. Stockton Professor of International Law The Charles H. Stockton Chair of International Law at the United States Naval War College has its origins in the Naval War College's oldest civilian academic post. The first civilian academic at the college, James R. Soley was appointed in 1885 t ...

in 2011. Schmitt retired from the Naval War College in 2019 and is now Professor Emeritus at the institution. In 2020, he joined the faculty of th
University of Reading School of Law
In addition to his position at the University of Reading, he is G. Norman Lieberman Distinguished Scholar at West Point, Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar and Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Texas, Charles H. Stockton Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the United States Naval War College'
Stockton Center for International Law
and Senior Fellow at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. Schmitt serves as General Editor of Oxford University Press
Lieber Studies
series, and he is Editor Emeritus o

a Fellow of the

Royal Society of the Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

and a Member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

. He sits on the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Law. In addition to his academic pursuits, Schmitt serves as Director of Legal Affairs fo
Cyber Law International
which offers international cyber law capacity-building seminars for government officials around the world. Its programs are sponsored by numerous nations and international organizations and certified as Executive Education by the University of Reading. The firm also engages in cyber law and conflict law consultancy.

Legal positions

Schmitt argued that the Israeli preemptive strike on Iran may have been legal according international law.

International recognition

Schmitt is internationally known for his work in directing the 7+ year project leading to publication of the two Tallinn Manuals dealing with the international law applicable to cyberspace. In 2017 he was awarded the

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (, also the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state. (The Latin name ''Terra Mariana'' ...

by the President of Estonia for his contributions to cyber security. Schmitt is also well known for his work on use of force issues and international humanitarian law. He serves on many boards of publications and professional organizations in these fields.

Key research activities

Drafting Committee
Harvard University's Manual on the International Law Applicable to Air and Missile Warfare (2003–09)
Member, Group of International Experts

ICRC The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and ...

Interpretive Guidance on the Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities (2003–09) * Director, Tallinn Manual Project(2009-2013) * Director, Tallinn Manual 2.0 Project (2013-2016) * Director
Tallinn Manual 3.0
Project (ongoing)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmitt, Michael N. Academics of Durham University Academics of the University of Exeter Academics of the University of Reading American non-fiction writers International law scholars Living people Place of birth missing (living people) War writers Year of birth missing (living people) Texas State University alumni Alumni of Durham University Charles H. Stockton Professors of International Law