Just Security

The article discusses the critical role of military lawyers (judge advocates) in advising commanders on legal constraints amid ongoing challenges such as boat strikes in the Caribbean, the U.S. invasion of Venezuela, and a war with Iran. Former and retired judge advocates offer guidance to current legal advisors and leaders to navigate these complex issues.

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is drafting a General Comment on the application of the ICESCR during armed conflict. Legal scholars argue that the Covenant continues to apply in such contexts, with armed conflict affecting its territorial scope, operational rights, and interpretation alongside international humanitarian law.

Just Security has published over 150 articles since October 2023 analyzing the Israel-Hamas War, focusing on diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian aspects. The archive includes detailed legal analyses of the International Criminal Court's actions and state reactions to ICC arrest warrants for Israeli officials.

The Trump administration's timeline details 60 lethal strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in 197 deaths (including 13 missing/presumed dead) and 5 survivors. Strikes were conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, with notifications to the U.S. Coast Guard for search-and-rescue operations. The timeline includes specific dates and outcomes for the 56th through 60th strikes.

Just Security has launched a Counterextremism Initiative exploring evolving extremist threats since early 2025 through essays by experts. The collection examines violent extremism, radicalization, terrorism, and government responses, with a broad focus on how these threats adapt in the digital era and intersect with other forms of hatred.

Just Security presents a symposium examining how sanctions and anti-corruption efforts intersect in policy practice. The symposium, supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York, features contributions from experts exploring whether existing sanctions tools can address corruption at scale and how enablers evade accountability.

Just Security maintains a litigation tracker monitoring 803 legal challenges to Trump administration executive actions, with 262 total plaintiff wins and 126 government wins as of the tracking period. The tracker covers major cases including challenges to immigration detention policies, F-1 visa registrations, and tariff policies, with 360 cases currently awaiting court rulings.

Just Security and the Reiss Center on Law and Security hosted a podcast discussion examining challenges facing the press in reporting on national security and foreign policy. The event addressed threats to press freedom from the executive branch, Congress, and media industry, while highlighting the importance of independent journalism for democratic accountability.