Introduction to the Defense Acquisition System

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Bowne, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for Space Systems Command and GW Law alumnus, to discuss the evolving challenges of artificial intelligence in federal procurement. Drawing on his experience as an Air Force judge advocate and AI researcher at MIT, Bowne examines common misconceptions about AI, the risks associated with agentic systems, and the importance of effective governance. The conversation explores data rights, limitations of traditional contracting frameworks, and the growing role of Other Transactions in acquiring emergingtechnologies, offering valuable insights for attorneys, acquisition professionals, and policymakers.

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Will Roberts, a former contracting officer, and former Chief of Acquisition for the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Roberts discusses the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, alternative acquisition pathways, artificial intelligence procurement, and the future of the federal acquisition workforce. Drawing on his experience in government and acquisition education, he examines the shift toward mission-focused, principles-based procurement and the importance of empowering contracting professionals to exercise sound judgment. The conversation offers valuable insights for law students, attorneys, acquisition professionals, and others navigating a rapidly changing federal procurement landscape.

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman is joined by Arash Heidarian and Phil Carter of Google and GW Law to explore the evolving intersection of technology and government procurement. Drawing on the innovative course they teach at GW Law, Government Procurement of Technology, the discussion examines how agencies acquire cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other rapidly evolving technologies while balancing commercial practices with federal procurement requirements. The episode also explores technology negotiations, shared responsibility models, cybersecurity, data rights, and the growing importance of AI literacy for the next generation of government contracts attorneys.

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Professor Sope Williams, one of the world’s leading scholars of comparative public procurement law and the newest member of GW Law’s Government Procurement Law Program. Their conversation explores the intersection of procurement, anti-corruption, and governance, drawing on Professor Williams’ research across Africa and Europe. Together, they discuss how corruption undermines procurement systems, the challenges of balancing efficiency with accountability, the lessons of South Africa’s state capture experience, and the growing importance of gender-responsive procurement. The episode offers valuable global perspectives for students, practitioners, and policymakers alike.

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Polly Hall, GSA’s Chief Advisor for Acquisition Innovation and Policy and Executive Lead of the practitioner workstream for the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). Marking one year since the executive order that launched the RFO, the conversation explores the policy changes, workforce strategy, and cultural transformation driving one of the most consequential procurement reform efforts in decades. Hall discusses acquisition innovation, practitioner engagement, leadership accountability, and the shift from a "check the box" acquisition culture toward one centered on mission outcomes, strategic judgment, and thoughtful risk-taking in federal procurement.