JONATHAN G. ODOM

Commander Jonathan G. Odom is an active-duty judge advocate in the U.S. Navy. Currently, he serves as the Oceans Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Most recently, Commander Odom served for three and a half years as the Deputy Legal Advisor to Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, headquartered in Hawaii, with a legal portfolio focused on oceans law and policy, the law of armed conflict, and the legal aspects of maritime security. Previously, Commander Odom has served as a legal advisor for admirals and generals in the Pentagon, for afloat commanders during operational deployments to the Arabian Gulf and the Asia-Pacific region, and for multi-national ground force commanders in Iraq and Kosovo. Additionally, Commander Odom completed a three-year assignment as an international law instructor at the U.S. Naval Justice School. In his personal capacity, Commander Odom has spoken at international and U.S. academic forums and has been published on matters related to the law of the sea, the law of armed conflict, national security strategy, maritime policy, and homeland defense. Of note to this conference, his publications include, "The True `Lies’ of the Impeccable Incident" (2010) and "A China in the Bull Shop? Comparing the Rhetoric of a Rising China with the Reality of the International Law of the Sea" (2012). Commander Odom is a licensed member of the North Carolina Bar. He earned his Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in History from Duke University and his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law. Currently, he is also enrolled part-time at Georgetown University Law Center, where he is pursuing a Masters of Law.