House Armed Services Committee Appoints Hillman to Sexual Assault Review Panel

Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) has appointed Professor Elizabeth L. Hillman, incoming Provost and Academic Dean at UC Hastings, to be a member of the independent sexual assault review panel. 

“Elizabeth is uniquely qualified to help review and assess the military’s processes and procedures for investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating sexual assault related crimes,” said Ranking Member Smith.  “As the current President of the National Institute of Military Justice, Elizabeth has worked extensively, in a balanced and thoughtful way, to help promote fairness within the military justice system. I am pleased that Elizabeth has accepted this new role – her input in the process will be invaluable.” 

"I'm honored by this opportunity to improve the ways in which the U.S. military responds to the betrayal of sexual assault and harassment in its ranks,” said Hillman. “Service members deserve a military justice system that fairly and effectively investigates and prosecutes these crimes." 

"Hillman's work is what we call engaged scholarship," said UC Hastings Chancellor & Dean Frank H. Wu. "Big ideas applied to real world problems. Rigorous scholarship that is valuable to the broader legal community, policymakers, and the public."

Section 576 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a panel to conduct an independent review and assessment of the systems used to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes involving adult sexual assault and related offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for the purpose of developing recommendations regarding how to improve the effectiveness of such systems.

Members of the panel are appointed as follows: 

• The Secretary of Defense appoints 5 members, including the Chairman;
• The Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee appoints 1 member;
• The Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee appoints 1 member;
• The Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee appoints 1 member; and
• The Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee appoints 1 member.

For more information, please contact:

Michael J. Amato
Communications Director, Minority Staff
House Armed Services Committee
Office: 202.226.8454 | Cell: 202.225.6902
2340 Rayburn House Office Building