Courts & Litigation

Just Security’s expert authors offer analysis and informational resources on key litigation impacting national security, rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Our content spans domestic and international litigation, from cases at the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and other international and regional tribunals, to those in U.S. courts involving executive branch actions, transnational litigation, and more.

Highlights:

The frame of the photo is filled with a tightly packed crowd of judges in black robes and purple, blue, or fuscia neck ruffles, alongside members of the public. Polish, EU and other flags can be seen above them in the background, apparently carried by marchers.

Attacks on U.S. Legal Profession Reflect Global Slide in Countries It Once Aided

Political pressures like those used to silence legal professionals and undermine rule of law in Europe and Eurasia echo patterns of the autocratic playbook.
Federal agents keep protestors back from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility

When Deference is No Longer Due

Reasons for historical deference to the executive branch's judgement in matters of national security and foreign affairs have been severely undermined.
Gavel and scales with a US flag in the background as symbols of a jurisdiction.

Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions

A public resource tracking all the legal challenges to the Trump administration's executive orders and actions.
A faceless hacker running malware on a laptop

The Rome Statute in the Digital Age: Confronting Emerging Cyber Threats

For the Rome Statute to remain relevant, practitioners must understand how governments can deploy spyware to commit international crimes.
The U.S. Supreme Court at night.

Taking Stock of the Birthright Citizenship Cases, Part IV: DOJ’s Ineffective Responses to Plaintiffs’ Statutory Argument

Analysis of birthright citizenship statutory arguments now before the Supreme Court.
IMAGES (left to right): People search through buildings, destroyed during Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2023 in Khan Yunis, Gaza (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images); A fireball erupts during Israeli bombardment of Gaza City on October 9, 2023 (Photo by Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images); The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the UN, holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case South Africa v. Israel on 11 and 12 January 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court (Photo by the International Court of Justice).

Just Security’s Israel-Hamas War Archive

Just Security's collection of more than 110 articles covering the Israel-Hamas War and its diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian consequences.
× Clear Filters
2,850 Articles
Binders of executive orders stacked on a desk.

Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions

Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
A view of the front portico of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, DC

Trump’s Use of Consent Decrees to Dismantle Policy

The administration has turned consent decrees into a deregulatory weapon, and courts are beginning to confront the limits of that strategy.
Gavel on a table in front of a chair with a military uniform

Could Trump Use the Uniform Code of Military Justice to Stifle the Protected Speech of Military Retirees?

The concerns expressed about the possible application of UCMJ's Article 88 to the protected speech of retired military officers aren't theoretical.
A scale in front of shipping containers

Rethinking IEEPA Accountability and Oversight

Congress can take steps now to revise IEEPA & strengthen accountability & oversight when the executive branch leverages U.S. economic powers.

The “Presumption of Regularity” in Trump Administration Litigation

A comprehensive study of court cases involving the Trump administration from January 20, 2025 to present
A Guatemalan woman touches a map of the United States

In Immigration Decision K-E-S-G-, a Break with Precedent Turns Back the Clock on Women’s Rights

A recent Board of Immigration Appeals ruling could seriously undermine protection for women fleeing fundamental human rights violations.
Collage of images pertaining to artificial intelligence

Just Security’s Artificial Intelligence Archive

Just Security's collection of articles analyzing the implications of AI for society, democracy, human rights, and warfare.
A man walks in front of the Supreme Court building at dusk.

Taking Stock of the Birthright Citizenship Cases, Part III: DOJ’s Arguments Regarding Domicile and Unauthorized Immigrants

Unpacking the Justice Department's arguments in the birthright citizenship litigation.
A young boy runs past a burning car in the Catholic area of Shortstrand during last evenings troubles in Belfast on July 12, 1996. British Prime minister John Major has sent an extra 1000 troops to Ulster, military numbers now stand where they did before the ceasefire. (Photo by GERRY PENNY/AFP via Getty Images)

September Could Finally Bring Answers for Northern Ireland Families

This month, Northern Ireland’s courts may deliver long-awaited answers — and perhaps accountability — for survivors and bereaved families of the conflict from 1969 to 1998.
Police officers and medical team members gather at a cemetery in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on July 28, 2025, as they begin the exhumation of a girl's grave. Authorities order the exhumation to conduct a post-mortem examination and establish the cause of death following allegations that the girl was killed under orders from a jirga, an informal tribal court. Suspects are brought to the site for identification as part of the investigation. The incident has sparked public outcry and renewed scrutiny over the role of illegal jirgas, which continue to operate outside the formal legal system in parts of Pakistan. Human rights activists condemn the extrajudicial process and call for legal reforms and stronger protections for women. The case underscores the ongoing challenges of enforcing state law in rural and semi-urban areas where customary practices still hold sway. (Photo by RAJA IMRAN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

When Law Fails Women: Jirgas, Gender Violence, and the Collapse of International Accountability

When women are walked to their deaths with the world watching, international law must offer more than words. It must deliver protection with power.
A collage of images featuring scenes from the Russia - Ukraine War.

Just Security’s Russia–Ukraine War Archive

A catalog of over 100 articles (many with Ukrainian translations) on the Russia Ukraine War -- law, diplomacy, policy options, and more.
IMAGES (left to right): Natural disaster and its consequences (via Getty Images); In this picture taken on September 28, 2022, an internally displaced flood-affected family sits outside their tent at a makeshift tent camp in Jamshoro district of Sindh province (Photo by Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty Images; Trees smolder and burn during the Dixie fire near Greenville, California on August 3, 2021. – Numerous fires are raging through the state’s northern forests, as climate change makes wildfire season longer, hotter and more devastating. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Just Security’s Climate Archive

A catalog of articles analyzing the diplomatic, political, legal, security, and humanitarian consequences of the international climate crisis.
1-12 of 2,850 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: