LCDR Christopher J. Hart, J.D., LL.M., M.B.A

EDUCATION

Georgetown University Law Center
    Master of Laws (LL.M.) in National Security Law

University of Maryland School of Law    
    Juris Doctor (J.D.)
    Concentration: Cybersecurity and Crisis Management Law

University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business  
    Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
    Specialization: Finance

Old Dominion University  
    Master of Engineering Management

United States Naval Academy
    Bachelor of Science in History

BAR ADMISSIONS
    District of Columbia
    Maryland
    Pennsylvania

COURT ADMISSIONS
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    U.S. Court of Federal Claims

RESEARCH AREAS
    Nuclear Law & Policy
    Law of the Sea & Maritime Law
    Maritime Nuclear Applications
    Energy and Infrastructure Regulation
    Law of Armed Conflict

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Military Professor, U.S. Naval Academy (2020 - Present)
• Engineer Officer, USS Rhode Island Ballistic Missile Submarine (2017 – 2020)
• Reactor Plant Technology Division Director, Nuclear Power School (2014 – 2017)  
• Assistant Engineer, USS Albany Fast Attack Submarine (2013 – 2014)
• Reactor Laboratories & Nuclear Machinery Division Officer, USS Albany (2011 – 2013)     

AWARDS

• Admiral Jay L. Johnson Professorship in Leadership and Ethics (AY 2026)
• Permanent Military Faculty Member of the Semester (LEL Department, 2022)
• Selected Unit awards:
  • Red Engineering “E” for top Engineering Department in Submarine Squadron 20 (2020)
  • Battle “E” for top Submarine in Submarine Squadron 20 (2020)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

• Christopher J. Hart, Closing the “Extreme Circumstances” Gap: The Legality of Nuclear Weapons When the Survival of a State is in Question, 108 International Law Studies 33 (2026)
• Christopher J. Hart & David Wallace, The Silent Service: The Law of Armed Conflict’s Blind Spots Regarding Modern Submarine Warfare, Articles of War (2025)
• Christopher J. Hart, How the International Community Can Pursue War Crimes Prosecutions in Support of Ukraine, 48 Suffolk Transnational Law Review 1 (2025)
• Tal Gross & Christopher J. Hart, From Ukraine to Gaza: IHL Compliance as a Tool for Preventing Moral Injury, Just Security (Aug. 12, 2025)
• Janet E. Lord & Christopher J. Hart, Disabled Dead Bodies: Marking the Intersections of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, 107 International Review of the Red Cross 631 (2025)
• David Wallace & Christopher J. Hart, Arming U.S. Navy Hospital Ships? Articles of War (2024)
• Christopher J. Hart, The Conflict in Ukraine Presents a Nuremberg-moment for International Human Rights Law–and How to Seize It, 31 Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution 94 (2024)
• David A. Wallace, Shane R. Reeves & Christopher J. Hart, Technologically Enabled Surrender Under the Law of Armed Conflict, 2 Chicago Journal of International Law Online 69 (2023)
• Christopher J. Hart, Manifestly Unlawful: Why Russian Military Commanders Must Disobey a Nuclear Launch Order Against Ukraine, 100 International Law Studies 776 (2023)
• Presentation: “Nuclear Weapons and the Law,” hosted by the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Law, Technology, and Warfare Research Cell (2024)
• Panelist: “Nuclear Weapons and International Law 2025: Nuclear Risks through a Legal Lens,” hosted by the International Section of the New York State Bar Association (2025)
• Moderator: “Nuclear Weapons” and “U.S. Law of War Manual” panels at the 2025 McCain Conference on “Ethics and the Law of War,” hosted by the United States Naval Academy (2025)