International Human Rights

President Duterte (2016-2022) is infamous for his extrajudicial killings of both drug dealers and drug users alike. As if a new chapter of the Salem witch trials, many of the victims of the regime were wrongly accused by disgruntled neighbors. Ride along with Richard Junnier as he interviews police for their perspective of this mass atrocity that killed, by some estimates, more than 20,000 people, including children.

Richard Junnier began his fieldwork in Ethiopia in 2024, visiting and researching atrocities including:

• The Amhara Conflict 
• The Oromo Insurgency (Oromia Conflict) 
• Post-Tigray tensions and renewed instability 
• Border and regional tensions involving Eritrea and Somalia 
• Localized ethnic and communal violence (Tribal Wars)

 “Seeking Asylum from Asylum Seekers” examines how modern asylum systems increasingly restrict protection through procedural barriers, accelerated removals, and expansive national-security justifications. The article analyzes the interaction between international refugee obligations and domestic legal frameworks, focusing on how treaty reservations, implementing statutes, and executive actions have narrowed access to humanitarian relief. Drawing from international human rights law, refugee law, and contemporary migration policy, the piece critiques legal mechanisms that undermine non-refoulement protections and due-process guarantees. It further explores how third-country transfer policies and externalized border enforcement expose vulnerable migrants to heightened risks of persecution and instability. Intended for legal practitioners, academics, and policymakers, the article offers a rigorous analysis of the growing tension between sovereign immigration control and international protection obligations. 

 “America First, Aid Second” analyzes the legal, political, and humanitarian consequences of shifting United States foreign-aid priorities toward strategic national interests over long-standing development and human-rights commitments. The article examines how reductions, conditions, and reallocations in foreign assistance affect vulnerable populations, international stability, and the credibility of American leadership abroad. Drawing on international law, foreign-relations doctrine, and contemporary policy developments, it evaluates the tension between sovereignty-driven policymaking and global humanitarian obligations. The piece also explores how aid policy can function as a geopolitical instrument influencing migration, security cooperation, and democratic governance. Intended for legal and policy audiences, the article provides a critical assessment of how transactional approaches to foreign assistance reshape both international partnerships and humanitarian outcomes. 

This project examines whether public statements and conduct connected to the Gaza conflict satisfy the legal standards for genocide and incitement to genocide under international law. Drawing extensively from the International Court of Justice Genocide Convention framework, the article analyzes state conduct, humanitarian conditions, and rhetoric attributed to political and military leaders in the context of the Israel–Hamas war. The piece synthesizes international humanitarian law, human rights reporting, and emerging global legal proceedings to evaluate how intent, collective punishment, and dehumanizing language may contribute to findings of genocidal conduct or unlawful incitement. It further explores the evidentiary and doctrinal challenges involved in proving genocidal intent, while situating the conflict within broader debates over sovereignty, civilian protection, and accountability under international law. Intended for legal scholars, practitioners, and policy audiences, the project provides a rigorous and contemporary analysis of one of the most contested international legal questions arising from the Gaza conflict. 

"Normalizing Hate" is a discussion concerning the laws, current events, and how our community is affected by the recent clawing back LGBTQ+ rights in Florida. It is divided into three parts.  Part One uses the example of the recent expansion of "Don't Say Gay" to grades K-12 to illustrate how lawyers interpret anti-LGBTQ+ laws and upcoming legislation. Part Two scrutinizes a sampling of news articles and editorials to converse about current events.  Part Three is an open discussion about how these laws affect the LGBQT+ community.