The Week That Was – Lawfare
Quinta Jurecic discussed former President Trumps consistent pattern of attempting to stymie the Mueller investigation, the work of the House select committee to investigate Jan. 6 and the Justice Departments Mar-a-Lago investigation, and the legal implications for the ongoing investigations now that Trump is no longer president.
Hyemin Han shared the Justice Department's opening brief in the Eleventh Circuit for an appeal of U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon's Sept. 5 order appointing a special master to oversee privilege claims of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search of former President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence. It asked the Eleventh Circuit to vacate Cannons order in its entirety with instructions to dismiss the case.
Han also shared the Justice Departments Oct. 11 response in opposition to former President Trumps Oct. 4 application to the Supreme Court for a partial vacatur of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuits Sept. 21 order allowing the Justice Department to resume use of materials it has been previously enjoined from using in a Sept. 5 order by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
William Appleton shared a livestream of the Jan. 6 Select Committees Oct. 13 hearing, announced as the final one. The Lawfare team also hosted a Twitter Spaces on the hearing at 5 p.m. ET.
Hadley Baker shared an episode of Lawfare No Bull which featured audio from the Jan. 6 committees ninth public hearing:
Benjamin Wittes sat down for a conversation with Jurecic, Alan Rozenshtein, and Molly Reynolds on Twitter Spaces to discuss the ninth Jan. 6 select committee hearing, the subpoena of Donald Trump, how this all could impact the upcoming midterm elections, and the performance of the committee given the constraints it faced:
Katherine Pompilio shared former President Donald Trumps letter in response to the House select committees decision to issue him a subpoena seeking information about his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Han also shared the Biden-Harris administrations first National Security Strategy which details the administrations enduring vision for the U.S. in the coming decade, its views on investment priorities, the administrations global priorities, and a breakdown of the administration's national security strategy by region.
Stewart Baker, Nick Weaver, Matthew Heiman, and Brian Fleming sat down to discuss the White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, the criminal conviction of Ubers CSO Joe Sullivan, new export restrictions on U.S. technology and its implications for U.S.-China trade relations, a Russian hack and leak operation, and more:
Henry Farrell and Bruce Schneier discussed the U.S. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Controls sanctions of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency and money-laundering platform, and the implications for cryptocurrency regulation if decentralized autonomous organizations like Tornado Cash are afforded First Amendment protections.Jordan Schneider sat down for a conversation with Kevin Wolf, partner at Akin Gump, to discuss the U.S. Commerce Department's new export control regulations, what the regulations mean for the global semiconductor industry, and if the regulations are even enforceable:
Chenny Zhang discussed the possibility of the American drug industry experiencing a similar manufacturing crisis as the semiconductor industry due to the increasing likelihood of industry consolidation, the difficulties of the regulatory approval process and its impacts on innovation, and the importance of the U.S. bioeconomy for national security.
Russell Buchan and Joe Devanny responded to a recent Lawfare article on the U.K.s cyber strategy and emphasized the need for a nuanced and incremental development of that strategy to achieve the responsible and democratic use of cyber power.
Han sat down for a conversation with Alexander Downes, professor of political science and international affairs at The George Washington University, to discuss the history of foreign-imposed regime change, what lessons can be learned from past foreign-imposed regime changes, and why, when it actually works, its success doesnt last very long:
Tyler McBrien sat down with Beln Carrasco Rodrguez and Tom Southern of the Center for Information Resilience to discuss their research into how Russia establishes and strengthens occupational rule, the Russian playbook for control, and the ways that forced assimilation may or may not be working:
Benjamin Wittes sat down for a conversation with Svitlana Khytrenko, a Ukrainian student who escaped Kyiv in March, to talk about her experiences as a refugee, her life in Poland, and her feelings about the Russian invasion:
Jordan Schneider sat down for a conversation with Kamil Galeev to discuss the prospects of nuclear war, the stability of the Russian state, Moscows grip on annexed regions, Putins future viability, and more:
Katherine Yon Ebright discussed an obscure counterterrorism authority used to create and control proxy forces across Africa and Asia, its intersection with the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), and argued that the executive branchs current interpretation may have gone beyond its previous representations to Congress and the public.
Caleb Johnson and Yang Liu provided a summary of President Joe Bidens Oct. 7 executive order which laid out a framework in which the government can conduct signals intelligence activities; establishes a three-layer redress mechanism to address potential violations of privacy, civil liberties, or law; and also fulfills prior commitments to provide higher privacy protections and a more durable basis for future trans-Atlantic data flows.
Renee DiResta and John Perrino discussed the new history of U.S. military information campaigns, how it illustrates the challenges of reaching and influencing online audiences, and argued for a U.S. policy of radical transparency in the information ecosystem in contrast to the opaque policies and disinformation campaigns of authoritarian adversaries such as Russia.
David Priess sat down for a chat with Jordan Taylor, historian and author of Misinformation Nation: Foreign News and the Politics of Truth in Revolutionary America. They discussed the persistence of misinformation, the origins and limits of newspapers in colonial America, the Illuminati scare of 1798-99, and more:
McBrien also reviewed Sierra Pettengills documentary Riotsville, U.S.A. (2022) which illustrates the history of police militarization in the United States, the legacies of the Kerner Commission, and the importance of investigating the origins of repressive social forces.
Wittes also sat down with Jurecic, Rozenshtein, and Scott R. Anderson to discuss the current state of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the two cases recently taken up by the Supreme Court relating to Section 230, and what the correct interpretation of 230if there is onemight look like:
Rozenshtein, Jurecic, and Anderson also sat down with Ashley Deeks, professor of law at the University of Virginia Law School, to discuss some of the weeks big national security news including: developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Saudi Arabias decision to cut oil production, and the Supreme Court's decision to take up two cases related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act:
And that was the week that was.
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The Week That Was - Lawfare
- Opinion | Don Lemon and the First Amendment - The Wall Street Journal - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- The First Amendment and Lincolns Constitutional Legacy: Lectures in Law and Humanities focus on the history of Americans rights - Clemson News - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Can students be punished for protesting during the school day? First amendment expert weighs in - Fox 59 - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- In the News: Julie Jonas on Don Lemon Arrest and the First Amendment - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Nevada Fake Elector Case Resumes With Debate Over Intent Behind 2020 Pro-Trump Ceremony - First Amendment Watch - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Kentuckys Second Amendment warriors cannot stay silent as the First Amendment dies - Forward Kentucky - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Banned Books, Free Speech, and the First Amendment - Law.com - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Washington Post Cuts a Third of Its Staff in a Blow to a Legendary News Brand - First Amendment Watch - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Understanding what First Amendment rights students have when protesting ICE - WTHR - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Don Lemon Says a Dozen Agents Were Sent To Arrest Him Even Though He Offered To Turn Himself In - First Amendment Watch - February 4th, 2026 [February 4th, 2026]
- VERIFY: Yes, student protests are protected under the First Amendment, but schools can still discipline students for missing class - rocketcitynow.com - February 4th, 2026 [February 4th, 2026]
- Video First amendment lawyer reacts to arrest of Don Lemon - ABC News - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Mark Levin: Interference is not a First Amendment right - Fox News - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Can You Protest Inside or Near a Church? First Amendment Analysis - Freedom Forum - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- First Amendment lawyers say Minneapolis ICE observers are protected by Constitution - Minnesota Reformer - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Opinion | After the Minneapolis shootings, a reminder of what the First Amendment protects - Star Tribune - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Trump Border Czar Suggests First Amendment Isnt All That Important - The New Republic - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- The First Amendment turned upside down: Buckley at 50 - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- The Recap: Trump takes a dump on the First Amendment, plus his asinine Fed chair nominee - Daily Kos - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Student sues UMass Amherst on First Amendment rights, after school suspends him - NEPM - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- This is a vendetta against the press: journalists warn of threat to First Amendment - Northern News Now - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- California prohibits its teachers from talking about a student's gender identity to their parents. That raises First Amendment concerns. - FIRE |... - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- First Amendment and what it means to teen-agers - hngnews.com - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Don Lemon charged with interfering with First Amendment rights at church protest - NBC News - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- First Amendment expert links religious freedom to global interfaith work in Spokane talk - FVS News - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Protesters' rights: What they can and can't do under the First Amendment - midmichigannow.com - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- What the Law Says About the Don Lemon Arrest and the Limits of the First Amendment - EEW Magazine - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- The First Amendment Will Outlive Trump | Opinion - Out South Florida - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- NABJ OUTRAGED AT ARRESTS OF DON LEMON, GEORGIA FORT THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS NOT OPTIONAL - Texas Metro News - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- The Alex Pretti shooting and the growing strain on the First Amendment - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Opinion | Jack Smith is in First Amendment denial about trying to gag Trump - The Washington Post - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Are you protesting? Here's what to know about your rights to protest under the First Amendment. - tallahassee.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Anti-ICE protesters disrupted worship in a Minnesota church. Heres why the First Amendment doesnt protect their actions. - FIRE | Foundation for... - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- CARTOONS: What the First Amendment doesnt protect | Drawing Board | Opinion - reviewjournal.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- OPINION In these crazy times: The First Amendment will outlive Trump - windycitytimes.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Man Is Shot and Killed During Minneapolis Immigration Crackdown, National Guard Activated - First Amendment Watch - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Perspective: When First Amendment rights collide with immigration enforcement - Deseret News - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Walking Brain Injury: Conservatives Mock Don Lemon for Claiming First Amendment Right to Storm Church - Mediaite - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Using First Amendment rights responsibly... - Columbia Basin Herald - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- ICE clashes with the First Amendment | Strictly Legal - Cincinnati Enquirer - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Ex-NAACP Leader Jim Vincent to Headline Inaugural Bankole Thompson First Amendment Lecture - FrontPageAfrica - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Sarasota mayor accused of violating First Amendment by cutting off speakers - yoursun.com - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- VICTORY: Jury finds Tennessee high school students suspension for sharing memes violated the First Amendment - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights... - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Opinion | The Post and the First Amendment - The Washington Post - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- So Much for Free Speech. A Year of Trumps Attacks on the First Amendment - Zeteo | Substack - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Houlahan and Bicameral Group Of Democrats Introduce Bill To Protect First Amendment Rights, Safeguard Americans From Politically Motivated Harassment... - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Sarasota mayor accused of violating First Amendment by cutting off speakers - Suncoast Searchlight - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- ACLU and City of Rose Bud reach settlement protecting First Amendment right to petition - thv11.com - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- First Amendment cases are rising. FSU Law is rising to the occasion - FSView & Florida Flambeau - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Press Freedom Advocates Worry That Raid on Washington Post Journalists Home Will Chill Reporting - First Amendment Watch - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Guest Column First Amendment and what it means to teen-agers - Pierce County Journal - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Democrats Say Trump Administration Is Investigating Them Over Video Message to Troops - First Amendment Watch - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Coshocton Schools accused of violating First Amendment after teacher leads prayer - NBC4 WCMH-TV - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- His SC hometown blocked him on Facebook after critical comment. He filed a First Amendment lawsuit. - Post and Courier - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Letters: Americans should not face death for exercising their First Amendment rights - Reporter-Herald - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Federal judge rules Creston teacher's first amendment rights were violated - KMAland.com - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Press Release: Murphy and Crow Introduce Bill to Safeguard First Amendment Rights and Combat Politically Motivated Harassment - Quiver Quantitative - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- New Yorks Anti-SLAPP Act: An Unnecessary Chill on the First Amendment Right to Petition - Law.com - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Minnesota and the Twin Cities Sue the Federal Government To Stop the Immigration Crackdown - First Amendment Watch - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Man Convicted for Carrying Pelosis Podium During US Capitol Riot Seeks Florida County Office - First Amendment Watch - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- 'At issue is the public right of access': First Amendment group savages Mar-a-Lago judge for 'incorrect' ruling over Jack Smith report, urges appeals... - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- NYS AG: "Most extensive" First Amendment reforms ever approved in Saratoga Springs - WRGB - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Opinion | Jack Smith would have blown a hole in the First Amendment - The Washington Post - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Court rules University of Washington violated professors First Amendment rights - Campus Reform - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Law's Jonathan Entin and Eric Chaffee on first amendment rights and social media access for children - Case Western Reserve University - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Guest Column First Amendment and what it means to teen-agers - Milwaukee Community Journal - - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Voting rights, First Amendment issues expected to be battles in Pierre - SDPB - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Teachers First Amendment rights - theacorn.com - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- OPINION: The First Amendment and peacefully protesting - Big Rapids Pioneer - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Appeals court reviews excluded texts and alleged First Amendment claim in Tucker medicalmalpractice appeal - Citizen Portal AI - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Sen. Mark Kelly vows to fight for First Amendment amid Pentagon threats - USA Today - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Musk's X is joining a First Amendment fight over trans bathroom photo - USA Today - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Filming ICE agents is a First Amendment right. So why might it land you in jail? - Straight Arrow News - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Liberties Year in Review: First Amendment victories - wng.org - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Trump Administration Will Appeal Judges Order Reversing Federal Funding Cuts at Harvard - First Amendment Watch - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- Housing, tourism and the First Amendment: Nevada editors reflect on the news year that was 2025 - KNPR - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- FCC fights First Amendment and democracy itself - mronline.org - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- First Amendment Stories of 2025: A Year in Review - Freedom Forum - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Trump tests the First Amendment: A timeline - CNN - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Professor Sanctioned by University for a Satirical Land Acknowledgment Wins First Amendment Case on Appeal - The New York Sun - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]