Dear Listeners & Readers,
As the summer winds to a close, the Lawfare team wonders whatever happened to the concept of a summer break.
There has been no shortage of consequential questions for our team to dig into: What happens when the government turns its critical gaze on journalists? What does it mean when intelligence is shaped to tell policymakers what they want to hear? How can institutions remain independent and objective when political pressure is at its highest? And what happens when the president’s power to remove government officials runs into his constitutional obligation to faithfully execute the law?
These are difficult questions, and we don’t pretend to know all the answers. But helping our readers and listeners understand the law and its national security implications is what Lawfare is here to do.
Over the past month, Senior Editor ** Anna Bower** took us
On the constitutional front, Contributing Editor ** Nick Bednar** and
While this is just a glimpse of what we’ve published lately, it represents the breadth of what Lawfare does: following the day’s news, but looking beyond it to examine the institutions, laws, and systems that determine what happens next.
Lawfare** **Beyond the Site
— *Lawfare *received generous commitments to fund our AI Research Program and the development of RAGtime. We are very excited to get this work off the ground and look forward to sharing more about what you can expect.
— Save the date for a special screening of the next chapter of ** Deportation, Inc.** On September 24, from 6:30–8:00 p.m.,
— is hitting the road! Our technology and national security podcast is taking its conversation beyond the studio, with live events already confirmed at Columbia University on September 16, the University of Oregon on October 21, Vanderbilt University on November 5, and Georgetown Law on November 11. More stops will be announced soon.
— The next Lawfare ** Ask Us Anything** is August 26!
Reach and Impact
Lawfare editors and contributors were cited across a wide range of national and international outlets in July, a month shaped by Jim Jordan’s criminal referral of Jack Smith, analyzing potential use of military force in the midterm elections, and the future of Ukraine policy. Lawfare articles, analysis, and expert commentary were cited in more than 260 articles in media outlets with a reach of 10,000 or greater, including ** Reuters**,
Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett and Senior Editors Molly Roberts and Loren Voss published an analysis of Trump’s potential use of military force to influence the 2026 midterm elections that became one of the month’s most widely cited pieces. ** IBTimes UK** ran a feature-length article drawing on their reporting, and the piece was subsequently picked up by
Senior Editor Anna Bower had another prolific month of original legal reporting. When Jim Jordan issued a criminal referral of Jack Smith to the DOJ, Bower’s analysis that the underlying documents were “a completely different category” from what Jordan alleged was cited by ** Yahoo News**,
Beyond the news cycle, Lawfare’s institutional work continued to inform policy discussions. ** The Cato Institute** cited the Lawfare Institute’s CASE Act lawsuit in a policy analysis of congressional oversight of foreign deals, noting that the administration has declined to comply with statutory posting requirements. Senior Editor Michael Feinberg appeared on
Senior Editor Roger Parloff’s coverage of the E. Jean Carroll payment dispute was cited by ** news.de** in Germany and by
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AUGUST SPOTLIGHT
Senior Editor Kevin Frazier
Hi, Kevin! What is your role at Lawfare?
I serve as a Senior Editor at
Lawfare, with a focus on our AI and Rule of Law coverage. This includes writing and editing pieces at that intersection and hosting theScaling Lawspodcast.
What three Lawfare pieces from this month should supporters make time for?
Kate Klonick provided a
on the Hugging Face-OpenAI cyber incident, which, believe it or not, is old news now! Still, it’s a compelling and thorough analysis of the merits of different regulatory responses.[timely and important piece]My
Scaling Lawsco-host, Alan Rozenshtein, and I sat down withto discuss his run for Congress. Though Bores fell short in the primary, his race illustrated that AI is an increasingly salient topic on the trail. We had a great time learning what he learned as one of the first “AI candidates.”[Assemblymember Alex Bores]The need for regulatory innovation in the context of AI is obvious. How best to act on that realization is less clear. That’s why
is an important read.[this piece]
What non-Lawfare reading are you recommending right now?
I encourage everyone to dare to be technical when it comes to AI discourse. Wired regularly provides in the weeds (bits?) coverage of AI news, and
lived up to that reputation.[this piece]As an academic, I have concerns about the hollowing out of the Ivory Tower due to folks packing their bags for the Bay Area. The Information
in some compelling visuals.[details this brain drain]
What are you watching closely in the weeks ahead?
Internal governance at the labs must improve. Tech has long struggled to practice what it preaches by way of transparency and independent oversight. There’s nothing stopping today’s labs from adhering more closely to those goals.
What’s life like for you outside of Lawfare?
Summer is a great time for new adventures. I’ve been getting into swimming thanks to the bevy of great pools here in Austin. My wife would tell you that I’m also exploring the craft of how to maintain a lawn (not easy in Texas). Finally, I’m always looking for the best breakfast taco in town—feel free to send me recommendations!
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Scaling Lawsis doing a roadshow! We’re bringing the pod across the country to help more folks engage on AI policy issues. If you’d like to host a show in your community, let me know!
Your support makes all of this work possible, and we are grateful to everyone who reads, listens, watches, shares, and supports Lawfare. Thank you for being part of our community.
With thanks,
The Lawfare Team
