An article from the symposium issue of the Indiana Law Journal on "War, Terrorism and Torture: Limits on Presidential Power in the 21st Century." The symposium was convened by the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and the Indiana University School of Law–Bloomington on October 7, 2005.

This article includes an introduction to and a copy of the “Principles to Guide the Office of Legal Counsel, December 21, 2004” offered by 19 former attorneys who served in the OLC, which advises the President and the executive branch agencies on legal controversies and who legal interpretations are generally controlling. In the wake of the release of the now infamous “OLC Torture Opinion” and subsequent developments outlined in the introduction by Prof. Dawn Johnsen, the signatories indicated that the principles are meant to “describe the standards and processes that we believe would help prevent future recurrences. Our principal aim is to restore and secure the vital role OLC traditionally has played in promoting presidential adherence to the rule of law.”