Accountability

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Gavel on an old world map

80 Years After Nuremberg, Envisioning the Future of International Law

For international criminal law to remain a compelling set of norms, the central principles that formed Nuremberg must be vigorously defended.
(L) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; (R) Daniel Driscoll

Will Trump Allow Private Equity to Gut the Army Too?

Previous Army privatization experiences demonstrate that the logic of Secretary Driscoll’s proposal to court private equity firms is difficult to defend.
Exterior of Northwestern University School of Law Levy Mayer Hall

The Assault on Law School Clinics is an Attack on Democracy Itself

Americans are witnessing a concerted effort to delegitimize legal defense for marginalized or politically disfavored people.
Aerial view of the Pentagon

The International Law Obligation to Investigate the Boat Strikes

Operation Southern Spear’s lethal boat strikes are unlawful under IHRL and, even on the administration’s own terms, trigger binding LOAC and DoD duties to investigate.
A member of the Ukrainian army and a policeman stand near body bags exhumed from a mass grave where civilians where buried in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on April 13, 2022, amid Russia's military invasion launched on Ukraine. - A visit by the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor to Bucha -- the Kyiv suburb now synonymous with scores of atrocities against civilians discovered in areas abandoned by Russian forces -- came as the new front of the war shifts eastward, with new allegations of crimes inflicted on locals. (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

History and International Law Proscribe Amnesties for Russian War Crimes

Compromising on prosecutions for Russian atrocities would erode the system of international justice built since Nuremberg and undermine the rule of law itself.
The image shows a crowd of demonstrators in multi-colored clothing holding signs, one near the center of the image wearing a makeshift crown.

When Loyalties Shift: Americans’ Growing Noncooperation with Federal Abuses of Power

Americans' refusals to accept apparent abuses of power by the federal government indicate that the political winds may be starting to shift.
Two women sit inside a dark concrete shelter, one on a single bed draped in what appears to be blue mosquito netting, the other on a low stool, in Adwa, Ethiopia on March 30, 2025. A window with bars in the top right of the image provides a little light. Buckets and what appear to be cooking implements sit on the barren floor.

In Ethiopia, an Unfinished Peace Risks Betraying the People of Tigray and the Broader Region

A confluence of factors threatens to reignite the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, exacerbating displacement and human suffering, and destabilizing the entire region.
Members of Venezuelan army stand at a table showing weapons to a crowd of civilian onlookers.

As Trump Presses for a Post-Maduro Venezuela: Questions, Lessons, and Warnings for the Aftermath

As the Trump administration positions for possible military strikes, it would be wise to prepare for looming governance and stability challenges in Venezuela.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks down stairs

From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)

The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.
Collage of Zuma, Rajapaksa and Bukele (L to R)

Is the U.S. Becoming a Captured State? A Comparative Perspective

Patterns of state capture in South Africa, El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Guatemala offer a cautionary guide for the United States.
U.S. President Clinton, Russian President Yeltsin, and Ukrainian President Kravchuk engage in a three-way handshake against a backdrop of a richly decorated room with fringed drapes and a chandelier-like wall sconce in the background.

Ukraine’s Ironclad Security Is Inseparable from Peace

After abandoning nuclear arms for the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine faces existential war -- proof that security “assurances” alone won't be enough now.
Peruvians light candles during a vigil for the victims of the anti-government protest after weeks of demonstrations over corruption and organized crime in Lima on October 26, 2025. On October 22, Peru's government deployed soldiers to the streets of Lima under a state of emergency declared following weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organized crime. (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP via Getty Images)

Impunity by Design: Latin America’s Quiet Crisis of Accountability

Across Latin America, political elites are quietly passing laws that narrow definitions, shield allies, and block legal pathways to investigate corruption and organized crime.
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