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.
2,932 Articles

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.

Criminal Justice Reform Didn’t End — It Decentralized
While federal rhetoric and policy have shifted sharply in a punitive direction, state governments continue to serve as the primary engines of criminal justice reform.

The Court Gutted Congress’s War Power. It’s Time to Give It Back.
A 1983 Supreme Court ruling eviscerated the law allowing Congress to end war. The Iran strikes make that a five-alarm emergency.

The “Presumption of Regularity” in Trump Administration Litigation (4th edition)
The most comprehensive study of court cases involving the Trump administration from January 20, 2025 to present
![Close-up of several metal handguns laid side by side on a table, their barrels and triggers visible in tight rows, representing some of the thousands of weapons seized by the Mexican Army from drug traffickers in northern Mexico in January 2017. Gun reads: "U.S.A. [...] Springfield, Mass."](https://i0.wp.com/www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-631911044.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
Firearms Trafficking Comes to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Recent Advisory Opinion
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' recent advisory opinion addresses the obligations of States and private actors to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of firearms.

America Is Turning Away People Fleeing for Their Lives — and Breaking the Law to Do It
Former senior officials explain why the Trump administration's argument in Noem v. Al Otro Lado is morally troubling and legally wrong.

If the U.S. Wants Durable Peace, It Must Protect the Institutions That Build It
A year ago, the Trump administration seized the U.S. Institute of Peace and began to dismantle it, gutting a key capability to reduce and prevent violent conflict.

Fourth Circuit Affirms $42 Million Jury Verdict in Abu Ghraib Case
In Al Shimari, the Fourth Circuit affirmed two Alien Tort Statute claims: conspiracy to commit torture and conspiracy to commit cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

The War on Anthropic: Pretextual Designation and Unlawful Punishment
The Trump administration’s salvo against Anthropic is invalidated by statutory limits, First Amendment freedoms, and the Constitution’s absolute bar against bills of attainder

How a Broadly Defined Counterterrorism Statute Could Be Abused
18 U.S.C. § 2339A doesn’t require proof of group membership or terrorist intent, and the policy framework around it outweighs any single verdict.

Confrontation in Court: How to Hold the Trump Administration Accountable for Violating Court Orders
Judge Schiltz’s orders in Tobay Robles v. Noem expose 96 ICE court-order violations in one month and show how forcing top officials to testify can restore the rule of law.

What Just Happened: Tariffs Are Gone and Then Back Again
The SCOTUS decision on Trump's tariffs, and the president’s subsequent reaction, leave many questions about tariff rates and what comes next.