The law of war is a component of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war. With the Israel-Iran conflict raging on, and in a significant escalation, on June 21st, the United States retaliated against Iran by striking three of their nuclear sites. In response, Iran launched a strike against a U.S. air base in Qatar. After the strikes, President Trump promoted peace and announced a ceasefire, only to be met with more strikes and a continuance of the Israel-Iran conflict. So what is the law of war? And how does it apply to the current conflict between Iran, Israel, and now the United States? 

In this episode, Craig  welcomes back Rachel E. VanLandingham, Lt Col. (ret.), Co-Associate Dean of Research & Irwin R. Buchalter Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. Together, Craig and Rachel discuss the law of war and the potential impact on our military, our country, and our relations with other countries. 

This Fourth of July, we're spotlighting one of the most iconic trials in American history. While the next regular Lawyer 2 Lawyer episode will drop on Monday, today we're revisiting one of America’s earliest and most pivotal legal battles: the Boston Massacre trial. This episode comes from Craig’s recent miniseries In Dispute, exclusively on Legal Talk Network.

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When an unruly crowd of angry colonists attacked a small platoon of British soldiers in 1770, five Bostonians were killed and several others wounded. John Adams, a then-34-year-old lawyer who would eventually become the second president of the United States, took on a bold and unpopular defense of the soldiers and orchestrated their trials in a way that defied conventional thinking. To better understand the historical context of the Boston Massacre, what actually went down, the aftermath of the tragedy, and the surprising takeaway trial lawyers should have after hearing John Adams’ closing arguments, Attorney J. Craig Williams invites you to bundle up and relive the astounding altercation that’s still talked about to this day. 

LINKS:

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VOICE ACTORS:

Scott Well as John Adams

Alan Chudnow as Samuel Quincy

Skyler C. as Josiah Quincy

Alan Parsons as Captain Thomas Preston

Robert Mattson as Samuel Adams

Dan Ring as Daniel Calef

Patrick Correia as Richard Palmes

Kate Kenney Nutting as the female witness

Neil Harvey as the British Soldier

Brian Driesen as Benjamin Lee

Andrew Clark as Thomas Handaside Peck

Robert “Terry” Terelak as Ebenerzer Bridgham

Jud Pierce as Dr. John Jeffries

Christopher Rogers as John Hogdson

 In response to the recent protests in Los Angeles, sparked by ICE raids, President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to L.A, and now 700 active duty Marines have joined, bypassing the authority of Governor Gavin Newsom and estimated to cost taxpayers an estimated $134 million. This stirred discussions over whether the President could use the Insurrection Act of 1807 & declare Martial law and whether these actions can be enforced. 

In this episode, Craig is joined by Rachel E. VanLandingham, Lt Col. (ret.), Co-Associate Dean of Research & Irwin R. Buchalter Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School.

Together, Craig and Rachel discuss the use of martial law & the Insurrection Act in response to protests, the military’s role, Newsom v. Trump,  and whether the deployment of  troops to Los Angeles constitutes martial law.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Newsom v. Trump

On January 20th, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14160, limiting birthright citizenship. This was met with backlash, as the constitutionality of the order was questioned. On May 15, 2025 SCOTUS heard oral arguments regarding a challenge to the order and a decision is expected to be released by late June or early July 2025. The courts have temporarily blocked the implementation of the Executive Order while constitutional challenges proceed.

In this episode, Craig is joined by David C. Baluarte, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law. Together, Craig and Dean Balaurte discuss Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship, recent oral arguments before SCOTUS, the constitutional fight for birthright citizenship, and the potential impact of this upcoming decision.

Mentioned in this Episode:

United States v. Wong Kim Ark

Chief Justice John Roberts recently called out the Trump administration for their threats to impeach judges who have ruled against them.

In response to these threats to the judiciary, the Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition, composed of over twenty former federal district and circuit judges  appointed by Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama, defended the federal judiciary, as political impeachment attempts against judges increase and the federal courts system face heightened scrutiny.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Chief Judge Paul R. Michel, formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and member of Keep Our Republic's Article III Coalition. Together, Craig and Judge Michel discuss the calls for impeachment of judges by the current administration, and how a coalition of judges is fighting back.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Keep Our Republic's Article III Coalition

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.   In 1802, founding father Thomas Jefferson, wrote a letter to the Danbury, Connecticut Baptist Convention insisting that their legislature "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between church and state.

On April 30th, 2025, SCOTUS heard arguments in  the consolidated cases of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond and Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond which could redefine the fine line between religion and government in public education. 

In this episode, Craig is joined by Frank Ravitch, professor of law & religion at Michigan State University's College of Law.  Together, Craig and Professor Ravitch delve into the significant legal topic of SCOTUS and the separation of church and state. Their discussion encompasses the details of these cases, Chief Justice Roberts' prior involvement in similar matters, the complex question of whether faith-based schools should be part of the public charter system, the importance of safeguarding religious freedom, and the potential ramifications of this forthcoming landmark decision.

What is a constitutional crisis? For some, a constitutional crisis is when the president defies the Supreme Court, for others it is when a president simply defies a federal judge’s order. Under the reign of President Trump and his administration, the country has dealt with a number of incidents where judicial orders have been disregarded. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Rümeysa Öztürk, Mahmoud Khalil are three individuals who have taken center stage in the battle between the courts and the Trump administration, and the quest for due process.

In this episode, Craig is joined by professor Kent Greenfield, the Dean’s Distinguished Scholar at Boston College Law School. Craig & Kent discuss whether the country is currently in a constitutional crisis, the Trump administration's defiance of a Supreme Court order involving the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States,  the power of  judicial vs. executive branches, and the consequences for defying the rule of law.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Bipartisan Letter Coordinated by Kent Greenfield, Professor and Dean’s Distinguished Scholar at Boston College Law School, and the American Constitution Society

Deferred contracts are becoming a powerful tool in Major League Baseball, allowing teams to stretch massive payouts over decades — but what does that mean for the sport?

In this episode, Craig is joined by Jeremy M. Evans, attorney and CEO of California Sports Lawyer, to discuss the rise of deferred contracts and how they’re reshaping financial strategy in baseball. Craig and Jeremy break down how teams like the Dodgers are leveraging media revenue, why private equity is entering the conversation, and what lessons MLB might take from other leagues.

On March 15th, 2025, the Trump administration defied an oral order from U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg to stop the flights of Venezuelan migrants headed to a Salvadoran prison, after the administration used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport more than 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador with no due process.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Virgil Wiebe, Professor of Law from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, as they discuss the recent deportation of Venezuelan migrants and federal Judge Boasberg's ruling, blocking the Trump administration from   deporting noncitizens. Craig & Virgil talk about the Alien Enemies Act, defying the judiciary, and next steps for individuals who are deported without due process.

Related Episodes

Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the United States. According to the Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking is defined as “the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.”

In this episode, Craig is joined by returning guest, Bridgette A. Carr, clinical professor of law and co-director of the Human Trafficking and Immigration Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School, as they spotlight human trafficking. Craig & Bridgette discuss the different types of human trafficking, how it happens, how to recognize it, and what is being done to combat trafficking.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Archived Lawyer 2 Lawyer Episode: Legal Crackdown on Human Trafficking featuring Bridgette A. Carr