Professor Gregory Maggs led the wide-ranging discussion, which at first centered on Ms. Flournoy's career path. She took an indirect route to national security, working as a journalist for Time Magazine before changing fields and earning her first job in government as part of the Clinton administration. Looking back on her experience, she emphasized for students that they should find a good mentor and advised choosing a boss over a specific job.
The discussion next moved to defense policy, which led Ms. Flournoy to speculate on the biggest challenges for the incoming Secretary of Defense. As part of a long list, she noted that the Department of Defense must invest in its people and in maintaining a technological edge. For all of the law students in the room, Ms. Flournoy also explained what she expects from lawyers in the national security field. She emphasized that for her, a real partnership with the general counsel has been essential to help spell out risks. "The operator, lawyer, and policy person must all work together as a team," she said.
Before ending, the students had the opportunity to pose direct questions to Ms. Flournoy. One student asked about challenges she faced as a woman in national security. She admitted frankly that her early career was challenging—she had no female mentors, saw few female role models, and dealt with inappropriate comments. "Eventually I started not minding the challenges, became hyper competent, and diffused the situations with humor," she said. "I let it be the other person's problem." She also noted that things are changing in the national security field with an increasing number of women in more senior leadership roles. In particular she mentioned her think tank CNAS, which employs a research staff that is more than half women.