Commander James D. Carlson, USCG
Law Section Chief
Associate Professor,
Humanities Department
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Commander Carlson brings a wealth of field experience to the Academy.  He has held a variety of operational positions in the Coast Guard, including three afloat tours and command at sea.  He was responsible for Coast Guard surface operations related to mass migrations from Haiti in 1992 and 1994.  Just prior to his assignment at the Academy, Carlson was the Seventh Coast Guard District Commander’s primary legal advisor for international & operational law issues.  The Seventh District’s area of responsibility includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Caribbean Sea.

Education:
Certificate in National Security Law, University of Virginia School of Law, Center for National Security Law, June 2005
Judge Advocate certification, October 2001
J.D., magna cum laude, University of Miami School of Law, 2001
B.S., U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 1988

Courses Taught:
Maritime Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Constitutional Law, International Law. 

Selected Publications and Presentations:

• "As World Ambassador: The Coast Guard’s International Interaction"; U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, December 1996.
• Presidential Proclamation 7219: Extending the United States’ Contiguous Zone-Didn’t Someone Say This Had Something to do with Pollution?; University of Miami Law Review, April 2001.
• Admissibility of Plea Agreements on Direct Examination – Are There Any Limits?; University of Miami Law Review, July 2001.
• Criminal Procedure at Sea: Constitutional Implications of Coast Guard Boarding Operations; Chapter in The Coast Guard Missions Law Deskbook, May 2006.
• Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations – Legal Foundations Under International and Domestic Law; Presentation, U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center, October 2006.
• Symposium sponsored by the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 2007.
• Military Justice: Cases & Materials (2007-2008 ed.) (editor).
• Ten Questions on National Security; William Mitchell Law Review, July 2008 (co-authored with CDR G. M. Sulmasy).
• Guide to the Law of Boarding Operations (contributor), U.S. Coast Guard Operations Law Group, August 2008.

Honors:
Meritorious Service Medal
Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida 
Coast Guard Commendation Medal (x2)
Coast Guard Achievement Medal (x2)

Professional Memberships:
Florida Bar Association
American Bar Association