Bio


Allen S. Weiner is an international legal scholar with expertise in such wide-ranging fields as international and national security law, the law of war, international conflict resolution, and international criminal law (including transitional justice). His scholarship focuses on international law and the response to the contemporary security threats of international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and situations of widespread humanitarian atrocities. He also explores assertions by states of “war powers” under international law, domestic law, and just war theory in the context of asymmetric armed conflicts between states and nonstate armed groups and the response to terrorism. In the realm of international conflict resolution, his highly multidisciplinary work analyzes the barriers to resolving violent political conflicts, with a particular focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Weiner’s scholarship is deeply informed by experience; he practiced international law in the U.S. Department of State for more than a decade advising government policymakers, negotiating international agreements, and representing the United States in litigation before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice, and the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal.

Senior Lecturer Weiner is director of the Stanford Program in International and Comparative Law and director of the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation. Before joining the Stanford Law School faculty in 2003, Weiner served as legal counselor to the U.S. Embassy in The Hague and attorney adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State. He was a law clerk to Judge John Steadman of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Academic Appointments


Administrative Appointments


  • Director, Program in International and Comparative Law, Stanford Law School (2007 - Present)
  • Director, Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation, Stanford Law School (2007 - Present)

Program Affiliations


  • Program in International Relations
  • Public Policy

2023-24 Courses


Stanford Advisees


All Publications


  • The Rule of Law and the Role of Strategy in US Nuclear Doctrine INTERNATIONAL SECURITY Sagan, S. D., Weiner, A. S. 2021; 45 (4): 126-+
  • Why the atomic bombing of Hiroshima would be illegal today BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS McKinney, K. E., Sagan, S. D., Weiner, A. S. 2020; 76 (4): 157–65
  • Authoritarian International Law, the Use of Force, and Intervention American Journal of International Law Unbound Weiner, A. S. 2020; 114: 220-226
  • The Use of Force and International Law (Book Review) AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW Book Review Authored by: Weiner, A. S. 2019; 113 (4): 856–62
  • International Law Weiner, A. S., Hollis, D. B. WoltersKluwer. 2018
  • Just War Theory & the Conduct of Asymmetric Warfare DAEDALUS Weiner, A. S. 2017; 146 (1): 59-70
  • ENDING WARS, DOING JUSTICE: COLOMBIA, TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE, AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT STANFORD JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW Weiner, A. S. 2016; 52 (2): 211-241
  • Governments, Publics, and Enemies: Intragroup Dynamics as Barriers to Conflict Resolution Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflct Bachar, G., Weiner, A. S. 2014; 7: 198-225
  • Constitutions as Peace Treaties: A Cautionary Tale for the Arab Spring Stanford Law Review Online Weiner, A. S. 2011; 64: 8-15
  • Law, Just War, and the International Fight Against Terrorism: Is It War? Intervention, Terrorism, and Torture: Contemporary Challenges to Just War Theory Weiner, A. S. Springer. 2007: 137-153
  • War and the law of nations: A general history. (Book Review) AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW Book Review Authored by: Weiner, A. S. 2007; 101 (1): 241-246
  • The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal: What Lies Ahead? Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals Weiner, A. S. 2007; 6: 89-96
  • Hamdan, Terror, War Lewis & Clark Law Review Weiner, A. S. 2007; 11: 997-1021
  • The use of force and contemporary security threats: Old medicine for new ills? STANFORD LAW REVIEW Weiner, A. S. 2006; 59 (2): 415-504