military law
21 Articles

Who Checks the President? Not the Military
The responsibility for checking contentious policies rests not with the military, but with elected officials, constitutional institutions, and the American people.

Timeline of Boat Strikes and Related Actions
A timeline that chronicles major events in the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

America’s War on Drug Smugglers at Sea Is Unlawful—and It Is Failing
U.S. strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels mark an unlawful expansion of military force into what has long been—and should remain—a law enforcement mission.

“In Focus” Syllabus Supplements: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, and Operation Absolute Resolve (2025–2026)
This syllabus supplement offers curated articles intended to be combined with traditional casebooks in a law school or other higher education classroom.

How to Choose Which Military Members to Hold Accountable for Illegal Boat Strikes
A retired judge advocate explains how a future administration could decide who to prosecute for the illegal strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.

Is the United States (Still) at War? How Wars Begin and End
Armed conflict is not a matter of political branding, rhetorical convenience, or domestic law positioning. It is a legal status that turns on objective facts.

The Armed Forces Need the Military Justice Review Panel
Rather than some new handcrafted DoD entity, it is crucial that the Military Justice Review Panel (MJRP) be restored as required under statute.

Legal Foundations of Honorable Military Service
As former judge advocates, it was our responsibility while on active duty to advise on the legal demands of and limits on senior officers’ authority and responsibility.

Cuba Libre: One Man’s Morality or Our Law?
We former JAGs must find new ways to examine, protest, and talk to our fellow Americans about this administration’s flagrant and accelerating misuse of the armed forces.

Hypothetical Legal Review of Use of the U.S. Military in Greenland
This hypothetical legal review imagines what a senior judge advocate’s legal analysis would be if ordered to plan a U.S. military operation in Greenland without Denmark's consent.

Hypothetical Legal Review on Judge Advocates Serving as Immigration Judges
A hypothetical legal review examining the OLC's legal basis for having Judge Advocates serve as immigration judges.

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.