Recent Articles

How New Congress Can Shine Light on Trump Era and Persisting Abuses
Three kinds of information Congress should get from Biden administration.

The Promises of FOIA in 2021: A Ready Pathway to Accountability
It's not just a matter of choice for Biden admin. Here's what the Freedom of Information Act — and pending litigation — requires the executive branch to disclose about Trump…

Early Edition: January 4, 2021
Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. A curated guide to major national security news and developments over the past weekend. Here’s today’s news. US ELECTION…

20 Most Read Just Security Articles in 2020
What captured readers’ attention over the past year.

Why the State Dept Should Reject Saudi Crown Prince MBS’s Claimed “Immunity”
The State Department refused to recognize head-of-state immunity for another Crown Prince, the UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed in 2010. The same adherence to international law should…

Purpose, Not Specificity, Limits the Pardon Power: A Rejoinder to Rappaport
'Tis the season for pardons. But must a pardon spell out the crimes to which it applies? The latest in an ongoing conversation between Prof's Bowman and Rappaport on the legality…

The 2020 Just Security Holiday Reading List
Our end-of-year reading recommendations from Just Security editors.

Alarms Raised in Central African Republic: Pre-Election Fighting Threatens Civilians and Fragile Peace
Ahead of elections this weekend, risks of a dramatic escalation of violence and political crisis in Central African Republic. What you need to know.

Can a Pardon Be a War Crime?: When Pardons Themselves Violate the Laws of War
Editor’s note: Originally published on May 25, 2019; with an author’s note published on Dec. 24, 2020. Author’s note, Dec. 24, 2020: Not all corrupt pardons…

Military Families are Gunning for Peace this Holiday Season
I share my family’s story to underline the urgency behind avoiding war with Iran. We’ve become a nation that engages in wars of choice. We cannot continue down this current…

SolarWinds as a Constitutive Moment: A New Agenda for the International Law of Intelligence
The SolarWinds hack could trigger fundamental changes in legal thought and state practice. Asaf Lubin sets out what that agenda can and should look like.

Invoking Martial Law to Reverse the 2020 Election Could be Criminal Sedition
In his increasingly desperate bid to hang on to the White House, President Trump is reportedly contemplating invoking martial law to force the invalidation of the results of the…