Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)

Trump’s strike on Iran violated constitutional limits on the president's unilateral power to take the nation to war—an authority the Framers reserved for Congress.

"Congress has been far more clear than is widely believed about what its view is..."

Experts who advised a president on use of force answer a full range of basic questions on the conditions under which action against Iran would be lawful, and what options Congress…

"The state of California, however, has not yet raised this point in the ongoing litigation. That is a missed opportunity ...."

The Trump administration has operated outside the appropriations process and congressional oversight through its law firm settlements.

U.S. military action in Mexico would not only be illegal, it would sabotage Trump’s stated immigration policy priorities and could lead to retaliation against Americans.

Beginning a national security reform process is not just necessary, but urgently demanded to break inertia and launch a new dynamic.

Ensuring that any secret law-making in the executive branch gets disinfecting sunlight is uniquely important because of its potential to give legal cover for overbroad, unaccountable,…

Drilling into the foundations of an idea - the 'plain statement rule' - discussed in Supreme Court oral argument on former President Trump's claims to presidential immunity.

A critical assessment of how the Department of Defense Law of War Manual narrowly defines "protected persons" under the Geneva Conventions.

Congress can impose consequences for presidents abusing the pardon power by increasing oversight and imposing transparency requirements.

The disclosure of the titles means that journalists, researchers, and others can now request the Office of Legal Counsel opinions themselves, opening important new avenues for…