Book Talk: The International Law of Intelligence, by Dr. Asaf Lubin

For centuries, states have relied on intelligence collection to navigate uncertainty and avert catastrophe, while simultaneously disavowing the legitimacy of the very conduct on which modern security and diplomacy depend. This tension has generated one of international law’s most vexing questions: is espionage a lawful feature of the international order?

While much of the existing literature defaults to sovereignty-based accounts that offer limited explanatory and constraining power, The International Law of Intelligence: The World of Spycraft and the Law of Nations (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2026), by Dr. Asaf Lubin, advances a different approach. It argues that espionage is governed by a distinct legal regime shaped by professional norms, moral expectations, and historically rooted patterns of state practice, offering a framework for understanding how international law operates under conditions of secrecy and strategic competition.

Building on these themes, Dr. Asaf Lubin will join us for a conversation marking the presentation of his forthcoming book. The conversation will be moderated by Iñaki Navarrete, LL.M. Candidate at Harvard Law School. The event is organized by the Harvard International Law Journal (HILJ).

Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP here.

About the author:

Dr. Asaf Lubin is an Associate Professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He holds an LL.M. and a J.S.D. from Yale Law School and is affiliated with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and Yale Law School’s Information Society Project. His research focuses on the intersection of international law, technology, and national security.

If you have any questions, please contact HILJ’s Outreach Chair, Juan Jorge <jjorge@llm26.law.harvard.edu> and the HILJ <hls.ilj.67@gmail.com>.