The Lawfare Podcast
The Lawfare Institute
The Lawfare Podcast features discussions with experts, policymakers, and opinion leaders at the nexus of national security, law, and policy. On issues from foreign policy, homeland security, intelligence, and cybersecurity to governance and law, we have doubled down on seriousness at a time when others are running away from it. Visit us at www.lawfaremedia.org.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 21, 2026 • 53min
Lawfare Archive: Accountability for Abu Ghraib
Michael Posner, a NYU Stern professor and former Assistant Secretary of State, unpacks the Al-Shimari v. CACI verdict and corporate human rights liability. He recounts how abusive practices at Abu Ghraib developed and the legal paths plaintiffs used to sue a U.S. contractor. The conversation covers jurisdictional fights, state secrets hurdles, the $42 million verdict, and what this means for private security and corporate duty.
5 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 44min
Lawfare Daily: Can the President Declare an Elections Emergency?
Anna Bower, a reporter who traced the draft elections executive order, and Molly Roberts, an analyst of executive orders and election law. They unpack a circulating draft that would centralize election control. They trace its murky authorship and QAnon ties. They explore legal theories claiming emergency powers and the practical chaos such a move could cause.
Mar 19, 2026 • 1h 30min
Rational Security: The “Take a Light Out of Crime” Edition
Ari Tabatabai, Iran/Middle East analyst explaining Iran's maritime tactics and mine risks. Natalie Orpett, executive editor offering legal and political perspective on allies and rules of engagement. Benjamin Wittes, legal commentator exploring transatlantic trust and campaign consequences. They discuss Strait of Hormuz disruptions, European reluctance to join U.S. operations, shifting DoD rules on civilian harm, and strategic fallout from strikes.
30 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 44min
Lawfare Daily: Iran Will Retaliate in the U.S., and We May Not See It in Time
Troy L.T. Edwards, Lawfare Public Service Fellow and former DOJ attorney specializing in Iran investigations and counterterrorism. He discusses Iran’s long‑memory retaliatory toolkit and proxy network. Short takes cover key DOJ cases that reveal Iran’s reach. They warn how recent institutional degradation may leave the U.S. unprepared for clandestine reprisals.
Mar 18, 2026 • 51min
Lawfare Daily: National Security, Counterintelligence, and Counterespionage: A Guide for the Perplexed
Derek Pieper, retired FBI assistant special agent in charge with two decades leading counterintelligence and counterespionage teams, discusses how the two fields differ and why training matters. He talks about insider recruitment versus foreign targeting. They cover expanding CI to influence and cyber threats, challenges of investigating colleagues, and why politicization risks undermining investigations.
7 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 32min
Lawfare Daily: Inside Iran's Complicated Relationship with Russia
Hanna Notte, director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at Middlebury College, studies Russian foreign policy and proliferation in the Middle East. She traces Cold War mistrust and how Syria became the turning point for coordination. She maps Russia’s interests and limits in partnering with Iran. She unpacks regional reactions, intelligence ties, and what Moscow gains short term.
Mar 16, 2026 • 1h 33min
Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration, March 13
Kate Klonick, scholar of law and technology; Scott R. Anderson, litigation and national security lawyer; Eric Columbus, DOJ and courtroom analyst; Roger Parloff, seasoned legal journalist. They unpack Judge Boasberg quashing subpoenas aimed at Powell. They discuss Anthropic’s suit against the Defense Department, Kari Lake’s unlawful appointment fallout, appointment disputes for U.S. attorneys, and other high-profile litigation developments.
Mar 15, 2026 • 39min
Lawfare Archive: Elliot Jones on the Importance and Current Limitations of AI Testing
Elliot Jones, Senior Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute who studies AI evaluation and governance. He discusses why AI evaluations, audits, and benchmarks matter now. He explains the technical and governance hurdles in testing foundation models. He covers who should run assessments, regulatory approaches in the EU/UK/US, and risks like audit-washing and limited test coverage.
Mar 14, 2026 • 58min
Lawfare Archive: Steve Coll on Saddam Hussein and the Limits of American Power in the Middle East
Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and historian of U.S. foreign policy, discusses Saddam Hussein using newly available tapes and archives. He explores Saddam’s mix of paranoia and showmanship, family power dynamics, U.S.–Iraq covert ties during the Iran‑Iraq war, failures of coup efforts, and how mutual misunderstandings shaped the march to invasion.
Mar 13, 2026 • 59min
Lawfare Daily: The State of Syria, with Charles Lister
Charles Lister, senior fellow and head of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute, offers on-the-ground expertise. He walks through Syria’s rapid political shift and the new transitional government. He discusses the Syrian Democratic Forces’ status, negotiations to integrate forces, Turkey’s changing role, the U.S. policy pivot, and risks like detainees, displacement, and looming flashpoints.
