Commentary: John Adams would have defended the detainees at Guantanamo Bay

"So you ... defend terrorists?"

This is a question that my fellow military commissions defense attorneys and I are often asked. When friends and family members wonder about the work I do representing a detainee held at Guantanamo Bay, I usually offer something quippy about defending "constitutional values" or "the rule of law," and quickly move on.

After all, talking about our clients, who have been tortured and imprisoned for years, isn't standard fare for casual family gatherings, nor is advocating for a nuanced view of their legal predicaments.

But it's important for