Dear Listeners & Readers, It’s hard to believe how much has happened since our last edition of Inside Lawfare.
Dear Listeners & Readers,
It’s hard to believe how much has happened since our last edition of Inside Lawfare. The end of summer left us with lingering questions about election security, executive power, AI regulation, the use of force both at home and abroad, and the health of our foundational institutions—and, as we ** marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11**, we found plenty of opportunities to look at the lasting effects of legal and policy decisions made in the wake of the terrorist attacks.
That theme—what we build in response to a crisis, and what happens when those institutions outlive the circumstances that created them—runs through much of our work this month. Former Homeland Security Secretary ** Jeh Johnson** offered a
We also examined the ** evolving terrorism threat**, including the coming release of convicted terrorists from federal prison and the lack of a consistent national framework for tracking or reintegrating them. Seton Hall University Law Professor
Senior Editor ** Molly Roberts** took a close look at the
Temple University Professor ** Mark Pollack** examined
**Lawfare **Beyond the Site
Join us in welcoming Lawfare’s newest members of the team!
Associate Editor and Artificial Intelligence Program Coordinator
holds a B.A. from Bowdoin College and an M.A. from American University’s School of International Service. Prior to joining[Allegra Hill]Lawfare, she worked at the U.S. Department of State.
Tarbell Fellow
is a PhD candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute and a research affiliate at the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative.[Lisa Klaassen]
Fall Intern
recently graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in Government and a minor in Data Science.[Athena Smith]
*— *
— Speaking of Kevin, he’s back on the road with . After making recent appearances at Columbia University and the University of Nebraska, the podcast’s live tour continues with stops at the University of North Dakota on October 6, the University of Oregon on October 21, Emory University on October 27, Vanderbilt University on November 5, and Georgetown Law on November 11. And there are more stops to come.
— We held our first in a series of AI-focused Salon Dinners in New York City, bringing together leading voices in AI to talk through what’s on their minds when it comes to the current state of AI advancement, law, and governance.
— Lawfare recently sponsored the ** FARA Conference** with Morrison Foerster on September 24, bringing together experts to discuss the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the evolving legal landscape surrounding foreign influence and disclosure.
— We also hosted the debut screening of the second episode of ** Deportation Inc.** with SITU and The Intercept on September 24 at the Festival Center in Washington, D.C. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event! Executive Editor Natalie Orpett welcomed the audience, and Managing Editor
— The next Lawfare** Ask Us Anything** is October 21!
Reach and Impact
Lawfare editors and contributors were cited across a broad range of national and international outlets in August, a month that included U.S. Attorney Janine Pirro’s special grand jury probe, the Trump foreign real estate licensing, and growing congressional attention to AI regulation. Lawfare articles, analysis, and expert commentary were cited more than 175 times in publications with a reach of 10,000 or greater, including ** CNBC**,
Senior Editors Anna Bower and Roger Parloff continued to be among the most widely cited legal journalists. . Bower’s reporting that U.S. Attorney Pirro may have empaneled a special grand jury was cited by ** MSN**,
Senior Editor Kevin Frazier was again one of the most widely quoted AI policy experts in national media. ** Yahoo News** and
Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson’s expertise continued to reach new audiences through major outlets. ** CNBC** quoted him in an investigation into Trump’s foreign real estate licensing income, which found that Gulf developers have driven the president’s licensing revenue to $59.5 million. The piece was subsequently picked up by Czech outlet
Beyond the news cycle, Lawfare’s work informed policy discussions at home and abroad. ** The Council on Foreign Relations** cited Executive Editor Natalie Orpett and Senior Editors Molly Roberts and Loren Voss on their analysis of presidential authority over elections in a piece on voter concerns about election integrity. Roberts’s two-part analysis of whether the midterm elections could be stolen on January 3 was cited by the
This is the kind of work ** your support** makes possible.
SEPTEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Executive Editor Natalie Orpett
Hi, Natalie! What is your role at Lawfare?
Executive Editor and Deputy General Counsel. My job at
Lawfareis basically to work with the best minds in the business. I manage our editorial processes, which means that I get to have a hand in all of the content we produce—articles, podcasts, livestreams, longform papers, narrative podcasts, special projects, etc. I also do some legal work for the organization; I was in private practice for many years before coming here.
What three Lawfare pieces from this month should supporters make time for?
Our very own Molly Roberts
that’s been alarming commentators over the last few weeks: Whether Jan. 3 is the midterms equivalent of Jan. 6—a day where election procedures are vulnerable to interference and may lead to a “stolen election.”[analyzed a question]Jonathan Hafetz
examining an issue that has unfortunately fallen off many people’s radars: Deportation of non-citizen students for exercising their First Amendment rights. He explains how these deportations are pernicious not only because they chill free speech, but also because the legal framework the government is relying on effectively suspends the writ of habeas corpus—that is, makes it impossible for people to challenge even unlawful detention.[wrote an important piece]Finally, and I admit this is cheating the 3 recommendations limit: I’d recommend
. It’s full of insights about how the response to 9/11 reverberates in our current legal and policy reality, in ways both foreseeable and totally unimaginable. Plus you can[our collection marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11][hear some of the][Lawfare]talk about how our careers were shaped by 9/11.[team]
What non-Lawfare reading are you recommending right now?
I was really impressed with two New Yorker pieces:
about Russian detention of Ukrainian civilians and[Joshua Yaffa’s]about a kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria.[Alexis Okeowo’s]Also,
by Sally Goldenberg and Nina Agrawal about post-9/11 air quality and Silvia Foster-Frau’s[this New York Times piece]in the Washington Post about how immigrants are being treated in detention.[deeply disturbing piece]
What are you watching closely in the weeks ahead?
Sigh... so many things. The war in Iran and ripple effects across the region. The Israeli elections. U.S. military action in the Caribbean and Central America. Whether the latest news in the AI space will result in meaningful changes. Whether people will adequately prepare for elections that aren’t—or aren’t perceived to be—free and fair. The many ways that our democratic institutions are under stress. And so much more. I’m no fun at dinner parties.
What’s life like for you outside of Lawfare?
So much biking! Or, to be more precise, a combination of commute-related biking, fun biking with my seven-year-old, and frantically running behind my three-year-old, who just graduated to a pedal bike and is obsessed.
My job involves a lot of heavy topics, so I try to read about things totally out of my lane to keep some perspective. I loved
by Laura Preston about artist Susan Te Kahurangi King. I also read and listened to a lot of media about Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem after their deaths a couple weeks ago. I had a lot of familiarity with Steinem’s work, but I’m glad I had a chance to reflect on it. I hadn’t known nearly as much about Parton, and it was a pleasure to learn about her.[this piece in the New Yorker]Other than that, spending time with my family and eagerly awaiting a cold snap that will end D.C. mosquito season.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
I’m so grateful for our supporters. Our work can be a little depressing sometimes, and it really helps to know that people believe that what we’re doing actually matters.
Natalie’s last statement sums up our feelings nicely, so we will leave it there. As always, thank you for being part of the *Lawfare *community!
With thanks,
The Lawfare Team
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