Recent Articles

Addressing Our Whole-of-Government Deficit in National Security
From Russ Travers who retired in July 2020 after a 42-year career in the Intelligence Community, having served in senior positions across multiple intelligence organizations --…

Supreme Court Preview: Collins v. Mnuchin and the Expanding ‘Unitary Executive’ Theory
The consequences for the federal government of an expanded unitary executive theory would be significant: high turnover, low competence, and less expertise, all of which serve…

New Zealand Pushes the Dialogue on International Cyber Law Forward
New Zealand becomes latest state to issue a statement of its views on international law in cyberspace.

Early Edition: December 8, 2020
Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. A curated guide to major national security news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news US DEVELOPMENTS…

Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: In Oral Arguments, Justices Weigh Liability for Chocolate Companies
U.S. corporations, including Nestle and Cargill, may face massive liability under the Alien Tort Statute for aiding and abetting slavery abroad. But does the ATS support such liability?…

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and its Limited Impact on the Legality of their Use
On October 24, 2020, following Honduras’ ratification, the UN announced the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) would enter into force on January 22, 2021. Accompanying…

The Risks of Relying on Counterterrorism Laws to Reduce Wartime Sexual Violence
Proponents risk legitimizing abusive laws and procedures and undermining broader efforts to advance equality and human rights protection for women.

Early Edition: December 7, 2020
Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. A curated guide to major national security news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news US-RELATIONS…

Recap of Recent Articles on Just Security (Nov 28-Dec 4)
Analysis of the week's news and developments.

A Commander’s Duty to Punish War Crimes: Past U.S. Recognition
A comprehensive, sweeping analysis of "the United States’ own long-standing views that a commander’s failure to punish war crimes by his subordinates may itself amount to war…

National Security Last Week at the United Nations (Nov 27 – Dec 4)
U.N. Negotiates for Humanitarian Access in Ethiopia Crisis On Dec. 2, United Nations (U.N.) spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced that the Ethiopian government had agreed to…

COVID-19 and International Law Series: Vaccine Theft, Disinformation, the Law Governing Cyber Operations
Ongoing cyberattacks on vaccine production and distribution systems, such as those discovered by IBM yesterday, may threaten efforts to fight COVID-19. But do they break international…