President Maduro is a POW, experts say
In an article published by Just Security, CERL Advisory Council Member Benjamin R. Farley makes the argument that because operation Absolute Resolve met the criteria of an International Armed Conflict, then Nicolas Maduro, who was both president and commander in chief of the armed forces in Venezuela, does indeed qualify as a prisoner of war and should be treated as such. The […]
Investigation into comments made by Senator Mark Kelly is “unprecedented”
Following comments made by Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and five democratic colleagues telling United States military personnel that they can lawfully disobey illegal orders, the Pentagon announced that it was launching an investigation into Senator Kelly. CERL Advisory Council member Professor Geoffrey Corn is quoted in an article for the Washington Post expressing his thoughts on the Pentagon’s […]
Trump administration push to use Alien Enemies Act faces more pushback
CERL Executive Board member Stuart Gerson was one of a number of people to sign onto an amicus brief in W.M.M. v. Trump, an Alien Enemies Act (AEA) case. The brief argues that the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 law to detain people in the absence of a declared war exceeds the president’s authority as laid out […]
International human rights law may lead to stricter non-proliferation rules
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has made important strides in limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. However, as currently constructed, the treaty has a loophole that enables states to create many parts of a useable weapon so long as they are not assembling the final product. In a blog for Council for a Livable World, Julia Zacher and CERL […]
US absence from COP 30 “unmistakable” says expert
When the United Nations Climate Change Conference met for COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, on November 10, 2025, the official American delegation count was zero. CERL Affiliated Faculty member William Burke-White writes at TIME that this absence leaves open a significant vacuum for illiberal powers and petro-states to take control of climate leadership and dealmaking, which will have profound […]
Second Circuit Court of Appeals hears important case regarding Argentine 16-billion-dollar payout
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently heard arguments in Argentine Republic v. Petersen Energia Inversora, S.A.U. CERL Affiliated Faculty member William Burke-White argues at Bloomberg Law that a reversal by the Second Circuit of the lower court’s decision would be the best outcome for protecting the equality of sovereign states. Professor Burke-White maintains that the lower court’s original decision […]
Experts question legality of strikes inside Venezuela
In an apparent escalation of tensions with Venezuela, the United States said that it would label the Cartel de los Soles, believed by the Trump administration to be headed by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Some believe that this designation helps the legal case for strikes by the United States inside Venezuela. Others, however, such as CERL Advisory […]
Reactions to UN Security Council authorizing international stabilization force for Gaza
In November 2025, the United Nations Security Council endorsed the United States-backed peace plan for Gaza. Hamas has rejected the peace plan, pointing to the demilitarization and disarmament provisions as reasons for their rejection. In the wake of these developments, CERL Advisory Council member Orde F. Kittrie was quoted as part of a panel organized by the Foundation […]
New film renews interest in “Golden Dome” system
On Oct 24., 2025, Netflix released “A House of Dynamite,” the new film by Kathryn Bigelow. In the film, an intercontinental ballistic missile is headed towards Chicago, and various U.S. government and military officials try to find a way to respond to this news. At the Washington Times, CERL Advisory Council member David S. Jonas argues that the film’s message supports the Golden […]
Gyeonggi Women’s International Forum held in Suwon
The opening ceremony of the December 2, 2025, Gyeonggi Women’s International Forum in Suwon, South Korea featured a speech from Professor Rangita de Silva de Alwis, a member of CERL’s Affiliated Faculty. Rangita de Silva de Alwis is Senior Adjunct Professor of Global Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Member-Elect to the UN Convention on […]
Boat strike campaign facing continued scrutiny as death toll climbs
On November 9, 2025, the United States struck two boats in the Pacific Ocean suspected of carrying narcotics, killing six people. This latest strike is part of an ongoing campaign beginning in September of 2025, and recent reporting has found that even “junior officers have been looking for legal assurances” before initiating airstrikes such as the one on Nov. 9. Relating […]
Fulfilling promises to Afghan Allies Act necessary to protect those who supported US efforts in Afghanistan
Senator Amy Klobuchar and CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph L. Votel write for the Minnesota Star Tribune that many Afghan families who supported America’s war effort in Afghanistan are still stuck in uncertainty regarding their immigration status four years after the withdrawal. Senator Klobuchar and General Votel advocate for the passage of the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Act, which would […]
Time to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria?
CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph L. Votel writes for the Middle East Institute that as Syria attempts to develop and reunify in the wake of the collapse of the Assad regime, it is necessary for the United States to lift the Caesar Act sanctions imposed on Syria in 2019. These sanctions are currently preventing the new […]
President Trump discusses using more than the National Guard in US cities
On a recent trip to Asia, President Trump talked to reporters about his authority to use United States Military forces beyond the National Guard in American cities if he thought it necessary. Professor Geoffrey Corn, a member of CERL’s Advisory Council, is quoted by Knewz discussing the president’s authority to use the military to supplement existing law enforcement entities […]
UN Global Commission publishes report on AI in the military domain
On September 24th, 2025, the UN Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) published a report on the use and governance of AI on the battlefield. In a follow-up event to this publication with the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain members and the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, […]
Rapidly changing warfare and what the US is doing to keep up
In this conversation on the Council on Foreign Relation’s podcast The President’s Inbox, CERL Affiliated Faculty Member Professor Michael Horowitz discusses the changing technology of the battlefield and how the Pentagon is trying to adapt to the changes in warfare that are playing out in real time in Ukraine and the Middle East. Michael C. Horowitz […]
Airstrikes against suspected drug boats is a clear War Powers Resolution issue
In this article on The Cipher Brief, Professor Geoffrey Corn, a member of CERL’s Advisory Council, argues that even though the campaign against alleged narco-terrorist groups currently does not risk high levels of causalities for United States military personnel, and according to the Trump administration, does not qualify as a large-scale war, it is exactly this […]
Brief filed by Martin Lederman likely prompted Court to ask for more information in Trump v Illinois
On Wednesday, October 29, the Supreme Court asked for an additional briefing as they considered President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Chicago. The request for additional information is probably a direct response to a brief filed by Professor Martin Lederman, a member of CERL’s Advisory Council, according to an article in The Seattle Medium. Professor Lederman argues that the law […]
More Strikes in Gaza as both sides claim the other has broken the ceasefire
On October 28, 2025, the Israeli military conducted strikes in Gaza after accusations that Hamas had attacked Israeli forces and had failed to return the remains of hostages to the Israelis. Hamas denied any involvement in the attacks, but they have been accused of staging fake recoveries of hostages’ bodies by the Red Cross. Professor Mary […]
International leaders condemn US airstrikes in the Pacific
On October 27, 2025, the United States launched airstrikes on four boats suspected to be involved in the drug trade. In response, leaders from Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela condemned the airstrikes. Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell, member of CERL’s Advisory Council, is mentioned in this article at SNMI News Channel as having stated that suspected drug traffickers are entitled to […]
Supreme Court must act on the deployment of US troops to American cities
CERL’s Benjamin R. Farley, Claire Finkelstein, Brenner M. Fissell, and Mitt Regan argue at Just Security that the Supreme Court must rule against the Trump administration’s ability to unilaterally deploy U.S. troops to American cities such as Chicago in Trump v. Illinois. They write that power over the military is not exclusive to the president. Furthermore, […]
To de-escalate tensions in the wake of strikes, US and Iran should look to Geneva Conventions
Following Operation Midnight Hammer launched by the United States against Iran in June 2025, Professor Kevin Govern, member of CERL’s Executive Board, writes in Jurist News that the United States should embrace diplomacy and de-escalation through the use of “smart power.” He also advises both nations to look to international humanitarian law, especially the Geneva Conventions, as a framework to work away from […]
National Guard deployments threaten system of federalism
Claire Finkelstein, faculty director of CERL, is quoted by Stateline, where she points out that the use of one state’s National Guard units in another state without the say-so from the second state’s governor raises serious 10th Amendment issues. She goes further by likening such actions to a foreign invasion, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. Claire Finkelstein is the Algernon […]
Serious ethical concerns with Trump’s request for millions in damages from DOJ
Claire Finkelstein, faculty director of CERL, is quoted by Axios. She states that this potential request by the Trump administration would be a fundamental test of the Justice Department’s integrity. Any payment from the DOJ to the president would demonstrate that there is very little daylight separating the interests of the president and the Department of Justice. Claire Finkelstein is the Algernon […]
Indictment of former Trump advisor John Bolton is ‘troubling’
Mark Zaid, member of CERL’s Executive Board, spoke with CNN about the indictment of John Bolton, former national security advisor to President Donald Trump. He explains the practice of writing books, whereby some senior government officials bring classified information home, is being challenged. Zaid addresses questions about why Bolton stands accused of these charges now and […]
‘Profound consequences’ to invoking war powers to target Venezuelan drug cartel
President Donald Trump has once again launched a strike against a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea. At War on the Rocks, Professor Geoffrey Corn, member of CERL’s Advisory Council, argues there are far-reaching consequences to invoking wartime powers to address what is by all measures a law enforcement problem. These attacks […]
Experts question Trump’s legal arguments for his war against drug trafficking
CERL’s Professors Geoffrey Corn and Claire Finkelstein are quoted in reporting by the Associated Press on the Trump administration’s legal justifications for targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and the recent authorization of covert CIA action in Venezuela. They contend President Trump’s invocation of war powers rests on dubious grounds. Geoffrey S. Corn is […]
Fundraising efforts for new White House ballroom put companies in a tough spot
President Donald Trump hosted dozens of business leaders at the White House on Wednesday evening for a dinner in connection with his efforts to construct a multimillion-dollar ballroom that would seat over 650 individuals. CERL’s Professor Claire Finkelstein is quoted in exclusive reporting by the Wall Street Journal discussing the dinner affair and the pressure […]
Trump-Hegseth messaging will have ‘corrosive effect’ on commitment to rule of law values
Addressing over 800 military leaders at Quantico last month, President Donald Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth presented a new vision for the future of U.S. warfighting, casting the rules of engagement as “stupid” and “overbearing.” Professor Geoffrey Corn, member of CERL’s Advisory Council, spoke with NPR’s Meghna Chakrabarti on the program On Point about how […]