Sam Bookman

Not here much these days, but feels important to say - thank G-d; this could have happened so many months (and thousands of deaths) ago; and that the path to justice in the future remains vanishingly narrow, but open. For now, overwhelming relief, and a hint of optimism.

For months, folks on this website have pushed a set of "gotcha" tropes to debunk the existence of famine in Gaza. In fact they are mostly debunking their own credibility on famine dynamics. As we await tomorrow's IPC report, here is a pre-buttal 🧵of some of those tropes.

תיעוד מרגעיו האחרונים: עודה אל-האד'לין צילם את ינון לוי יורה בו למוות בסרטון שהגיע לידי בצלם, אשר צולם על ידי עודה בעצמו, נראה לוי יורה לעברו ומיד לאחר מכן עודה מתמוטט. עודה אל-האד'לין, פעיל זכויות אדם, תושב הכפר אום אל-ח'ייר בדרום הר חברון, נהרג ב-28 ביולי מאש חיה שירה לעברו המתנחל ינון לוי. לוי, שבעבר היה נתון לסנקציות אמריקאיות בשל מספר רב של תקריות אלימות כנגד תושבי האזור הפלסטינים בהם היה מעורב, פלש בשבוע שעבר (28 ביולי) עם טרקטור לתוך קהילת אום אל-ח'ייר. בשעה שהתושבים ניסו להרחיקו ירה לוי באקדחו והרג את אל-הד'אלין. לוי שוחרר כבר למחרת למעצר בית בעילה של חוסר ראיות ובשל קבלת בית המשפט הישראלי את טענתו להגנה עצמית. ביום שישי 1 באוגוסט, שוחרר לוי גם ממעצר הבית. ביום שני 4 באוגוסט צולם באדמות אום אל ח'ייר מלווה במתנחל חמוש נוסף. מנכ”לית בצלם יולי נובק: “לפלסטינים אין זכויות ואין שום הגנה, הם מופקרים לחלוטין בעזה ובגדה המערבית. ההרג של עודה הוא עוד דוגמא לכך שהעולם עומד מנגד בזמן שחיילים ואזרחים ישראלים הורגים פלסטינים לאור יום, ויודעים שתהיה להם חסינות”. לתחקיר המלא >> btselem.org/hebrew/video/2…

New Brazil development law risks Amazon deforestation, UN expert warns bbc.in/4fgXVLm

PRESS RELEASE: The #ICJ will deliver its Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change on 23 July 2025 at 3 p.m. (The Hague). Watch live on @UNWebTV. Link to the press release: go.icj-cij.org/3TYEeOt

Bottom line: recent cases push the needle forward. But cases must be be narrowly targeted and calibrated to political context. Forthcoming in @COLawReview . Still time for changes! Comments and criticisms are very welcome.

"Breakthrough Climate Constitutionalism?" now available on SSRN! I grapple with recent state constitutional climate cases, identifying lessons for litigators. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf…

This map is incredible for several reasons, one that it suggests that people who actually take the subway aren’t nearly as scared of it as those who don’t.

רק אומר שיש המשך לפסוק.

🚨 Rabbi Indig of Satmar tells NYTimes he’s considering adding Zohran Mamdani to his slate of endorsements. “According to my conversation, he told me that he’s not an antisemite… As mayor, we wouldn’t have a problem with him.“ nytimes.com/2025/06/10/nyr…

It's important to understand that online defenders of Israel's conduct in Gaza are basically conspiracy theorists. They expect you to believe that the information sources on which you rely in every other conflict (Ukraine, Sudan) are parties to a vast anti-Israel conspiracy.

🌏🎙️⚖️ For this year's Earth Day, I had a great time speaking with Aminta Ossom at Harvard's @CarrCenter about the connections between human rights and climate change. Our conversation is now available on the Center's podcast feeds or website 👇 hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr/o…

People at HLS or around Cambridge—you should go listen to @DineshaSam who is one of the most interesting comparative con law scholars out there and who is giving a talk at HLS and on zoom tomorrow hls.harvard.edu/events/the-dut…

I have tariffed the penguins that are on Heard Island and which you were probably assuming did not export goods forgive me they were taking advantage of us so cunning and so cold

Masterpiece. @mroth78 “Jews have been here before, many times, and it does not end well for us.” nytimes.com/2025/04/07/opi… via @NYTOpinion

Excited to head to New Haven next week for this terrific conference at @YaleLawSch conference on Climate Change and Private Law. The conference is bringing together an outstanding group of scholars on this chronically under-examined area. Details here: law.yale.edu/animals/events…

New from us: EU CO2 emissions fell by 2.9% in 2024, even as power sector emissions posted an eye-popping 16% drop. This highlights that the EU has been so successful in cutting power sector emissions that the sector can't make up for lack of progress in other sectors anymore.

@LuisInaraja @COLawReview Thanks @LuisInaraja!

@SamBookman @COLawReview Congratulations on a great placement, Sam! I look forward to reading it.

My latest, Breakthrough Climate Constitutionalism?, has found a home @COLawReview. I respond to 3 2024 cases which demand reassessment of state const suits. As fed action collapses & Juliana hits a dead-end, state law & courts are vital sites of climate contestation. SSRN soon!

NEW: ICE is hunting for Yunseo Chung, a Columbia student who attended pro-Palestine protests. Chung came to the US from Korea with her family at age 7, and was her high school's valedictorian. She's a lawful permanent resident. Here's what we know so far. 🧵