When

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 from 12:20 pm to 1:30 pm • lunch provided

Where

Austin 111, Harvard Law School (nb: access to the HLS campus is limited to HUID holders).

What

In this lecture, Prof. Michael N. Schmitt (of the University of Reading and an HLS PILAC affiliate) will examine selected United States uses of force during the second Trump administration through the lens of international law. He will pay particular attention to the legal bases advanced for those operations and their relationships to relevant frameworks, including the jus ad bellum, the jus in bello (international humanitarian law/law of armed conflict), and international human rights law. Drawing on specific episodes across the administration, Professor Schmitt will assess whether those operations may be regarded as lawful under international law.

About the Speaker

Michael Schmitt is Professor of International Law at the University of Reading. Additionally, he is an Affiliate at Harvard Law School’s Program on International Law and Armed Conflict, Visiting Research Professor at the International Institute for Humanitarian Law, and Professor Emeritus at the United States Naval War College. Professor Schmitt is also a Senior Research Associate at Hebrew University, Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar at the University of Texas, and General Editor of the Lieber Studies series (OUP).