Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.

U.S. Boat Strike Campaign: Questions Congress Should Ask Executive Branch Officials

A list of questions that should be answered by U.S. government officials regarding the lethal campaign against suspected drug trafficking individuals, groups, and vessels.
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The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part IV

Co-hosted with RCLS, a panel of experts discuss the Trump administration's continued campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers.
US Marines unload from an Osprey V-22 aircraft at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport

Killing Shipwrecked Survivors is Not Just Illegal—It Endangers U.S. Servicemembers

If the United States chooses a path where killing defenseless survivors becomes acceptable, American servicemembers will pay the price for that choice.
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Professional Responsibility and the Boat Strikes

Legal and ethical debates surge around unreleased OLC memo on lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean, with growing calls for transparency and scrutiny of military lawyers.

Unlawful Orders and Killing Shipwrecked Boat Strike Survivors: An Expert Backgrounder

An expert backgrounder on the reported Hegseth "no quarter" order to kill everyone aboard a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2.
Screenshot of the mock legal review by Daniel Maurer.

Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes

A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.
The USS Gravely, a US Navy warship, departs the Port of Port of Spain on October 30, 2025. The US warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on October 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. Saber Rattling and Venezuela: Lawful Show of Force or Unlawful Threat of Force?

Clearly, U.S. actions are threatening to Venezuela. But do they amount to an unlawful threat under international law, or are they merely a lawful show of force?

Irreconcilable Presidential Determinations: On Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan Government

The two determinations are mutually exclusive; it is legally impossible to maintain both simultaneously.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (L) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) during the Great Heritage - Common Future Forum, a Russian-Belarusian meeting, dedicated to the anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad on April 29, 2025 in Volgograd, Russia. Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko are having a joint visit to Volgograd, former Stalingrad, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)

Memorandum for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Committed Against Ukraine

James Goldston and Esti Tambay present their organization's work, a Memorandum supporting efforts to hold officials accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Obligations Towards UNRWA and Other International Organizations in the Occupied Territories: Key Issues

Unpacking the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on Israel's obligations towards the UN and others to provide humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza.
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The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part III

Tess Bridgeman is joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to assess the latest strikes, the brief detention of two survivors, where the campaign may be headed, and what…
Palestinians rally around aid trucks which entered from the Karem Abu Salem crossing, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 12, 2025, as a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions holds in the besieged territory. A Gaza ceasefire was holding for a third day on October 12, ahead of a US-proposed hostage-prisoner exchange and a summit aimed at charting a path to peace after two years of war. (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)

Implementing the Gaza Ceasefire

The ceasefire in Gaza faces many challenges and is currently threatened by serious violations. What can we learn from the experience of ceasefires elsewhere?
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