How an institution responds to a variety of crises - whether a terrorism attack, a major hurricane, a plane crash, a foreign entity abusing a social media platform – is one of the most challenging and consequential aspects of leadership. Understanding what a crisis is, when you are in it, and what skills are needed to manage through it is an essential skill for government and private sector leaders. To understand crises response takes more than skills in communication, leadership or incident command; though necessary, it also takes an understanding of the complex political, regulatory, international, ethical, and legal regimes that govern the incident and the skills to manage these different and sometimes conflicting concerns. Drawing mostly on case studies and lessons learned, from crises as far ranging as Hurricane Katrina to Haiti earthquake to the Boeing air crashes, the course will provide to all students a deeper understanding not merely of the mechanics of crises response but how the law, politics, and policy empower and hinder our capability to respond.