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.

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2,932 Articles
Fog over Santiago, Chile (via Getty Images)

Inter-American Court of Human Rights Delivers Landmark Opinion on Climate Emergency

The advisory opinion provides a blueprint for policymakers and advocates seeking to drive forward climate action in the Americas.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump meets with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in the Oval Office of the White House on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump and Bukele were expected to discuss a range of bilateral issues including the detention of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The Legal Fig Leaf: The US-El Salvador Detainee Diplomatic Notes

Declassified U.S.–El Salvador documents expose a shaky legal cover and continued U.S. control over detainees in CECOT, raising questions about complicity in potential abuses.
Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, testifies during his Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. A whistleblower alleged that Bove, President Trump's former personal lawyer, told Justice Department staff to defy court orders and continue to carry out Trump’s deportation plans. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Classified Information and State Secrets: Why the Senate Must Consider National Security Risks in Judicial Confirmations

A vote to confirm a judicial nominee is a vote to grant that individual a lifetime security clearance and access to some of the country’s most closely held secrets.
The International Criminal Court in the evening (via Getty Images)

From Bench to Ballot: Judicial Integrity and Political Ambition at the ICJ

ICJ president Nawaf Salam's resignation demonstrates why clear ethical boundaries are essential to the Court’s continued authority and legitimacy.
Exterior view of The United States Court of International Trade in lower Manhattan on May 29, 2025 in New York City. In a ruling that surprised many, the Manhattan-based trade court ruled in an opinion by a three-judge panel that a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant Trump "unbounded" authority to impose the worldwide and retaliatory tariffs he has issued by executive order recently. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Court of International Trade’s Flawed Ruling in Striking Down Trump’s Tariffs

On May 28, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled Trump's tariffs exceed IEEPA's scope; the court's analysis is weak. These cases show limits of constitutional avoidance.
Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, is sworn in before testifying during his Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. A whistleblower alleged that Bove, President Trump's former personal lawyer, told Justice Department staff to defy court orders and continue to carry out Trump’s deportation plans. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Whistleblower Documents Implicate Emil Bove in Criminal Contempt Order by Chief Judge Boasberg

Email released by whistleblower would presumably implicate Bove in the “contumacious conduct” identified by Chief Judge Boasberg.
A woman does research on skin wound healing in a lab

The Trump Administration’s Multi-Front Assault on Federal Research Funding

Costs for scientific progress and the public could be profound if the Trump administration succeeds in significantly cutting research funding.
AI chipset processor circuit board digital transformation blue abstract technology background.

AI Copyright Wars Threaten U.S. Technological Primacy in the Face of Rising Chinese Competition

Outdated U.S. copyright laws could inadvertently boost Beijing's tech ambitions and its approach to IP globally.
Demonstrators hold up “Birthright Citizenship” sign outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Hanging “Like a Guillotine”: Trump v. CASA and the Risk of Statelessness

For the first time in modern history, children born on American soil may be rendered stateless. The risk to non-citizen children is real and urgent.
Pathways to "universal” relief after Trump v. CASA (Just Security)

Pathways to “Universal” Relief After Trump v. CASA

CASA’s reasoning left open multiple avenues for litigants seeking to obtain broad relief against unlawful executive actions
Protesters take part in a demonstration against violence against minorities in Syria, with reports saying attacks have killed more than 1,000 mostly Alawite civilians, with Christians being caught up in a wave of violence, outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, on March 15, 2025. Protesters carried signs with slogans such as "Stop the slaughter, no more bloodshed" and "Just one of the massacres." Many held up photographs of bodies lying in the streets, emphasizing the brutality of the ongoing conflict. (Photo by PHIL NIJHUIS/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s Not Too Late for States Parties to Fulfill the Promise of the International Criminal Court: Three Actions They Should Take Now

The ICC might still play a role in walking humanity back from the brink, if States can find the political will to respect and strengthen the work of the Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court is shown at dusk on June 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

After CASA: The Administrative Procedure Act Option for Challenging the Birthright Citizenship and Other Illegal Executive Actions

After Trump v. CASA, the APA offers a path to nationwide relief against unconstitutional executive actions—without relying on universal injunctions.
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