Rule of Law

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A line of cars snaking from the foreground to the back of the frame, lined up at a gas station with a roof bearing the company name "Gazpromneft" in Cyrillic letters.

Fueling Russia’s War: The Russian Diesel Deal and International Law

By lifting export restrictions on Russian diesel, the United States arguably bears responsibility for aiding and assisting Russia's unlawful use of force against Ukraine.
A sign marks the location of a polling place as residents vote in the state's primary election on August 11, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Boots Off Ballots: Troops and Elections, In Practice

Soldiers should always remember that in a democracy, any domestic deployment order given on or around an election is suspect.

The Just Security Podcast: How State and Local Governments Can Fight Back Against Authoritarianism

Erwin Chemerinsky and Aziz Huq discuss the powers that state and local governments can use to serve as a check against authoritarianism and federal overreach.
A blue wooden plaque bearing the map outline of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the text "U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Baby, Cuba. Pearl of the Antilles. Commanding Officer Capt. Samuel T. White. Welcome Aboard."

The 9/11 Military Commission and Lessons of Recent History

The rulings that the accused 9/11 plotters' confessions are inadmissible are a reminder that the U.S. government fares better when it abides by the law.
A ballot box sits ready to be used as Prairie Oak Lodge is used as a polling place on June 2, 2026 in Marion, Iowa.

No Emergency Exception: The Ban on Troops at the Polls Was Built for Crises

Section 592 unmistakably conveys Congress’s intent to bar any kind of military interference in American elections.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on stage on the second day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 10, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.

Auctioning Democracy: Trump’s Promise of a $5,000 “Dividend”

Trump's pledge to pay $5,000 to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans retain control of Congress could violate federal criminal law.
A view of the U.S. Department of Justice Building on August 17, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Working Backwards: Inside the Trump Justice Department’s Conclusion-First Approach to Civil Rights

The Civil Rights Division regularly announces investigations or even conclusions with little to no evidence of fact-finding at all.
Security forces in camouflage stand and walk on a dirt road next to a field on the left of the image, alongside small olive green armored vehicles arrayed against a fence extending along the right side of the image. the metal fence is twice the height of the personnel and has concertina wire looped along the length of its midsection and across the top.

Activists at the Poland-Belarus Border are Still Being Prosecuted for Providing Aid to Migrants

People who help migrants and asylum seekers at Poland's border with Belarus continue to be targeted with prosecutions, interrogations, and home searches by Polish authorities.
The U.S. Department of Justice Building on August 17, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Dangerous Warning Signs from the First-Ever ATRC Case

The first-ever case brought before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court displayed the dangers the court poses to democratic rights.
General view of the Jose Antonio Anzoategui Petrochemical Complex in Puerto Piritu, Anzoategui, Venezuela on September 17, 2026.

How Will Congress and the Public Learn the Details of Trump’s Venezuela Oil Deal?

If the Trump administration declines to disclose the terms of the Venezuela oil deal, Congress has tools available to compel it to do so.
An American flag flies behind barbed wire fencing at the Office of Military Commissions building on June 27, 2023 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Guantanamo Dispatches: Military Ends USS Cole Hearing Early for Health Emergency

Pretrial hearings in the USS Cole bombing case ended abruptly on Wednesday after the case's death-penalty defense lawyer had a health emergency.

Standing Up for International Law

When academics, business and law firm heads, and leaders of international associations like the ABILA defend the rule of law, those ripples can build into a wave of change.
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