Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare

What Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare does

The Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare is a research institute located at the United States Military Academy at West Point, focused on the law of armed conflict, international humanitarian law, and the legal dimensions of emerging military technologies. It was founded in 2019 and operates as part of West Point's academic infrastructure, supported by U.S. government appropriations rather than commercial revenue. The Institute sustains a global network of experts in armed-conflict law, including contributors to the Tallinn Manual on cyber operations.

The Institute's core products include the Lieber Studies Series, a monograph line published through Oxford University Press that has produced at least 13 volumes spanning topics such as non-state actor attribution and the Indo-Pacific theater; the Articles of War blog, an open-access commentary channel; the MILOPS Course (Military Operations and the Law); and recurring workshops, seminars, and partner programming. Recent outputs include a Manual on International Law Applicable to AI in Warfare, signaling expansion into emerging-technology governance. Partnerships extend across NATO CCDCOE, ICRC, the International Society of Military Law and the Law of War, Army Futures Command, the Modern War Institute, Harvard Law School, and Emory Law School. The Institute has received the NATO Serge Lazareff Prize (2023) and the ASIL Richard R. Baxter Military Prize (2023).

The Institute's business model is institutional rather than commercial: funding flows through U.S. Army / West Point appropriations, and its outputs are distributed globally via OUP and open-access channels at no direct charge to end users. Key personnel include Co-Director Sean Watts, Senior Faculty Fellow Hitoshi Nasu, Senior Military Fellow Ronald Alcala, and visiting Lieber Scholar Eric Talbot Jensen (2017). Headcount is approximately 13 personnel based in the United States.

Name

Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare

Legal name

Lieber Institute for Law & Land Warfare

Website

https://lieber.westpoint.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare is a West Point-based research institute studying the law of armed conflict, international humanitarian law, and emerging military technology governance, publishing through Oxford University Press and serving U.S. Army, NATO, and allied legal-military audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Legal Research and Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), National Security (928110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Defense Universities & Joint Professional Military Education (PME) (EDAHAOAB)

Keywords

• Law of armed conflict
• Military legal education
• International humanitarian law
• War studies publishing
• Operational law research

Headquarters

HQ city

West Point

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: The Lieber Institute operates as part of the United States Military Academy at West Point and is funded through institutional government appropriations rather than commercial revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Lieber Institute conducts scholarly research and delivers educational programming on the law of armed conflict at the United States Military Academy. It publishes the Lieber Studies Series through Oxford University Press, maintains the Articles of War blog, hosts the Military Operations Course (MILOPS), and convenes workshops and seminars on topics including targeting, detention, AI in warfare, emerging technologies, and war crimes accountability.

Product overview

The Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare is a research and educational organization at West Point that produces scholarly publications, hosts events, and provides educational programs focused on international law and the law of armed conflict. The Institute's primary products include the Lieber Studies book series published with Oxford University Press covering topics such as civilian protection, attribution of non-state actor conduct, and Indo-Pacific conflict; the Articles of War online forum for legal scholarship; research publications including the Manual on International Law Applicable to Artificial Intelligence in Warfare; and educational programming including the Military Operations Course and various workshops. The Institute does not offer commercial software products or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Articles of War: A forum for professionals to share opinions and cultivate ideas on law of armed conflict topics
• Lieber Studies Series
• MILOPS Course

Products and services

• Lieber Studies Series A scholarly book series published through Oxford University Press covering international law applicable to armed conflict; 13 volumes have been published covering topics such as civilian protection, attribution of non-state actor conduct, and Indo-Pacific conflict.
• Articles of War A public-facing online blog and forum for legal scholars and practitioners to share opinions and cultivate ideas on law of armed conflict topics, including posts on dual-purpose objects, ICJ advisory opinions, and Indo-Pacific conflict.
• Military Operations Course (MILOPS) An annual educational course designed to teach the basics of military operations to interested participants, typically including military personnel and legal advisors.
• Manual on International Law Applicable to Artificial Intelligence in Warfare A scholarly research manual (the 'West Point Manual') addressing how international law applies to artificial intelligence in warfare, produced as part of the institute's research program.
• Thematic Workshops and Symposia Periodic workshops, seminars, and symposia on specialized LOAC topics including urban siege warfare, large-scale combat operations, war crimes prosecution, cyber operations, and proxy warfare, hosted at West Point and partner institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 volumes published in the Lieber Studies Series covering diverse law of armed conflict topics
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Society for Military Law and the Law of War (ISMLLW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2023Hosted the XIIIth Seminar for Legal Advisors of the Armed Forces at the U.S. Military Academy with theme 'Fault Lines in the Laws of War.'
• Tech, Law & Security Program at American University Washington College of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Partnership to explore how international law applies to cyber operations. Partnership included the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence, Federmann Cyber Security Research Center, and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
• Federmann Cyber Security Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Partnered on symposium exploring State expressions on how international law applies to cyber operations.
• S. Rajaratnam School of International StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Partnered on symposium exploring how international law applies to cyber conflict.
• NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Partnered on symposium examining State views on how international law applies to cyber operations.
• Harvard Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2022Hosted Workshop on International Law Applicable to Urban Siege Warfare, examining legal and policy issues from military, civilian, and humanitarian perspectives.
• End of War Project at Emory Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2022Co-hosted roundtable exploring how emerging technologies can be harnessed at the end of conflict, engaging experts from law, security studies, technology, ethics, and history.
• International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2022Co-hosted roundtable with interdisciplinary experts on how new and emerging technologies can be harnessed at the end of conflict.
• Emory Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2022Co-hosted workshop on Emerging Issues in the Law of Armed Conflict and LOAC Lessons Learned in the Syrian Conflict.
• Modern War Institute at West PointcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2021Co-hosted multi-disciplinary panel on proxy warfare featuring operational, tactical, and legal perspectives on proxy actors in conflict.
• Army Futures CommandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2021Co-hosted virtual event on 'The Future Character of Warfare and the Law of Armed Conflict.' Partnership involves ongoing collaboration including interdisciplinary war-gaming exercises focused on developing operational concepts for future battlefields.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2020Co-hosted webinar with the American Society of International Law's Lieber Society on the updated commentary to the Third Geneva Convention.
• American Society of International Law's Lieber SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2020Co-hosted webinar with ICRC discussing the updated commentary to the Third Geneva Convention, involving Professor Sean Watts as participant.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Chatham House is a major international-affairs think tank producing research on conflict, security, and international law. While broader in scope, it overlaps with the Lieber Institute on LOAC-relevant research and convening of policy and military audiences.

Direct peers

• Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights: The Geneva Academy is a leading academic center producing research and education on international humanitarian law and armed conflict. Its scholarly output, rule-of-law-in-armed-conflict focus, and global convening role closely parallel the Lieber Institute's mission.
• American Society of International Law (ASIL): ASIL is the leading U.S. professional society for international law and the awarding body of the Richard R. Baxter Military Prize received by Lieber fellows. Its Lieber Society co-hosts programming with the Institute on Geneva Convention topics.
• Stockton Center for International Law at the U.S. Naval War College: The Stockton Center is the U.S. Navy's counterpart to the Lieber Institute, providing scholarly research and education on LOAC for naval judge advocates and commanders. Both are service-academy affiliated institutes producing publications, manuals, and convenings for military legal audiences.
• International Institute of Humanitarian Law (Sanremo): The Sanremo Institute is a leading non-profit that runs courses on LOAC and international humanitarian law for military officers and humanitarian professionals worldwide. It is one of the closest functional analogues to the Lieber Institute's educational mission.
• International Society for Military Law and the Law of War (ISMLLW): ISMLLW is an international organization dedicated to military law and the law of war, hosting seminars for legal advisors. The Lieber Institute hosted its XIIIth Seminar for Legal Advisors of the Armed Forces, making it a directly comparable convening and scholarship body.
• NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE): NATO CCDCOE produces the Tallinn Manual on cyber operations and runs the leading international research agenda on cyber LOAC, directly overlapping with the Lieber Institute's work on AI and emerging-technology warfare. The two organizations have co-hosted symposia.
• The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS): TJAGLCS is the U.S. Army's primary institution for training judge advocates, including LL.M. programs in military law. It serves overlapping audiences (Army JAGs, legal advisors) with complementary LOAC curriculum and scholarship.

Regional players

• Modern War Institute at West Point: Also housed at West Point and a direct partner of the Lieber Institute, the Modern War Institute addresses the operational and tactical dimension of modern warfare. Together the two West Point institutes form an integrated scholarship-and-practice ecosystem on contemporary armed conflict.

Broad incumbents

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): The ICRC is the leading global authority on international humanitarian law and a direct partner of the Lieber Institute on Geneva Convention commentary work. It produces analogous LOAC scholarship, commentaries, and convenings for a global humanitarian and military audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/articles_of_war
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lieber-institue-for-law-and-land-warfare-at-west-point

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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