Expert Backgrounder
32 Articles
Congress, the President, and the Use of Military Force in Venezuela
Did the president have the authority under U.S. law to undertake Operation Absolute Resolve without congressional authorization? Leading experts say he did not.
Maritime Law Enforcement on the High Seas: Authority, Jurisdiction, and the Seizure of The Skipper
An expert explainer on the U.S. boarding and seizure of the oil tanker, “The Skipper,” off the coast of Venezuela.
The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder
Detailing how, under different scenarios, international law and U.S. past practices apply to Sept. 2 boat strike on survivors.
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.
Trump, the National Guard, and the District of Columbia: What You Need to Know
The president’s maximalist legal approach in deploying the military may well foreshadow broader use of the military in other American cities.
Top Experts’ Backgrounder: Military Action Against Iran and US Domestic Law
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…
Explainer on First Amendment and Due Process Issues in Deportation of Pro-Palestinian Student Activist(s)
Legal experts explain First Amendment and Due Process rights in case of Mahmoud Khalil and potential deportations of other pro-Palestinian protestors.
What Just Happened: Purges at the DOJ and FBI — How Do and Don’t the Civil Service Laws Apply
Expert Backgrounder on how civil service laws do or do not protect DOJ and FBI officials from retaliation.
Deployment of the U.S. Military for Immigration Enforcement: A Primer
An expert explainer by leading expert on the domestic deployment of the U.S. military.
Birthright Citizenship and Undocumented Immigrants
"If the new administration goes through with this proposal whether by executive action or legislation, courts should and most likely would strike it down."
Nuts & Bolts of the International Criminal Court Arrest Warrants in the ‘Situation in Palestine’
What do the ICC's arrest warrants for Israeli PM Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant mean in practice, what alleged crimes are they sought for, what happens next at the…
Expert Explainer: The US for the first time submits a formal brief to the International Criminal Court on the ‘Situation in Palestine’
A Q&A with Todd Buchwald, former U.S. Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice at the U.S. Department of State.