BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Major General Hugh Overholt, retired U.S. Army JAG Corps, addressed students on the topic of “Guantanamo Bay Detainees and the Constitution” on Aug. 21 at Campbell Law School.

“It is a delight to be here with you today,” said Major General Overholt. “Campbell Law School is very close to my heart.

“I was at Fort Bragg when this school was founded,” he continued. “I was honored to know Dr. Wiggins, and I have watched this law school evolve over the years into an asset to North Carolina’s legal education.”

Overholt is a retired Major General of the U.S. Army. He has served as both The Judge Advocate General and Assistant Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army. A member of Ward and Smith PA, he advises clients on government contract, regulatory and legislative issues, and all aspects of military law. Overholt has been rated by his peers as being “preeminent” in his fields of law.

“We are at war,” Overholt said. “You cannot tell we are at war today, here in Buies Creek – the birds are signing, the sun is shining, people are getting back to classes. The thought of war and bombs is alien.”

“We have been fighting for 6 years, that is longer than World War II lasted,” he said. “Well, this is not WWII.”

Overholt went on to explain why the War on Terror is a new kind of war. He outlined the new type of warfare faced, naming the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as foiled attack plans on the U.S., and the new sort of technology that is used.

He also went on to explain how the games of war have changed. “You don’t go to war anymore without taking your lawyer with you,” he said.

“This is a different battlefield,” Overholt said. “It’s kind of a battlefield up in the air, if you will. We rely on intelligence.

“Quite honestly, if someone up there wanted to listen to me right now, they could,” he continued. “What portion of your first amendment and fourth amendment rights are you willing to give up so that this country is safer?”

Leaving the students to ponder this question, after giving specific examples of why our nation needs to understand this new era of war, Overholt gave a few words of wisdom

“I would suggest that this is a whole new type of warfare in a whole new type of era,” he said. “How are we going to move this forward? You need to consider what your role in this eventually going to be.”

Sponsored by the Campbell Law Federalist Society, the event lasted from noon to 1 p.m. Pizza and drinks were provided.

About the Campbell Law Federalist Society: The Federalist Society is a non-partisan organization dedicated to the core beliefs of the Founding Fathers – the state exists to preserve freedom, the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and it is the providence and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be -- that seeks to both promote awareness of these beliefs and to further their application through its activities. Events include debates, guest speakers and a trip to the Supreme Court.

About Campbell Law School: Since its founding in 1976, the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others and create a more just society. The School has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American College of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. In 2008, the Law School’s Moot Court Program was ranked 17th nationally among 196 ABA accredited law schools. Campbell Law boasts more than 3,000 alumni, including 2,000 who reside and work in North Carolina as well as the highest average overall passage rate on the July N.C. Bar Exam for the past 17 years. For more information, visit law.campbell.edu.