Lawfare and Just Security

Given today’s launch of Just Security (of which I’m one of the co-editors-in-chief), I thought it worth saying a word or two about me and Lawfare, lest anyone get the wrong idea about the new project, or about my decision to join the Jets (or Sharks, depending on one’s perspective). To my mind, both the core purpose and the central contribution of law blogs is to raise the level of debate—in this case, to provide interesting, incisive, and insightful commentary on the pressing national security law and policy issues of the day, and provoking the kind of thoughtful conversation and principled disagreements that are far too often missing from contemporary American discourse. That’s a big part of why I was honored to join Lawfare a little under two years ago (and, as should be clear from this morning, wholly intend to continue to post here for as long as I'm welcome)—not to be a token voice or a constant critic, but because I genuinely thought, rightly or wrongly, that I could add something of value to the entire debate. That’s just as big a part of why I leapt at the opportunity to also be part of Just Security—a similarly motivated project spearheaded by an equally impressive cast of characters. As Ben rightly put it when we first chatted about the project, the success and continuing visibility of each will only redound to the benefit of the conversation writ large. That’s why (I hope) we’re all here; it’s certainly why I am.