ICYMI: Most viewed Lawfire posts for 2025
2025 was another great year for Lawfire thanks to you, the readers! In case you missed some of the most-read posts, here are a couple for you: Is independent, nonpartisan legal advice from military...
Category: National Security
Pete Marksteiner on “If ‘the law’ says we can’t decisively interdict drug boats, maybe it’s time to change the law.”
Today we introduce a new contributor, retired Air Force judge advocate Colonel Pete Marksteiner, who offers a philosophical and practical perspective on the ongoing controversy about the military’s anti-drug smuggling maritime operations. Pete’s essay...
LENS 2025 Conference: the Scholars speak!
Every year, it gratifies me when attendees to our annual conference tell me they learned more, discovered fresh ideas and perspectives, and were encouraged to dig deeper into areas that caught their interest at...
Is independent, nonpartisan legal advice from military lawyers on the chopping block?
Be sure to check the 24 Feb update at the end of this post… Last night’s announcement that the Administration is “requesting nominations for the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air...
Lt Gen (R) Dave Deptula on “Election Implications for Defense: The Rendezvous”
If you are wondering what the elections mean for national defense, today’s post will give you an informed viewpoint on that vital issue. Lawfire® readers may recall that retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen....
Yes, the law of military orders matters, and here’s how
In recent weeks, professors from four U.S. military institutions have expounded on what is in essence the law of military orders (even if they don’t acknowledge it as such). Decide for yourself, but I...
Guest Post: “How to Use the Privacy Act to Access an Army Adverse Information Program (AAIP) Portal Entry: A Guide to Seeing Your Records”
One of the key purposes of Lawfire® is to get relevant scholarship into the hands of practitioners as soon as possible, and today I’m pleased to tell you we are doing just that. In...
Shortbursts: Hampden-Sydney visit, LENS Conference update, and more!
Shortbursts is an occasional feature of Lawfire® designed to provide short news pieces or updates on a variety of matters. Terrific visit to Hampden-Sydney College On Thursday, February 1, I had the privilege of...
Register now for LENS’ 29th Annual National Security Law Conference!
I’m pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 29th Annual National Security Law Conference presented by Duke Law’s Center on Law, Ethics and National Security (LENS) on Feb 23-24, 2024. Because...
Can 2023 posts help us foresee the key national security issues for 2024?
What do you think the key national security issues will be in 2024? Perhaps considering some of the top Lawfire® posts from 2023 will give us some direction. Here’s a list of some Lawfire®...
