Guide: How to Write for Lawfare (and Use It to Earn Money) — Step by Step

Section 1 · Understand the publication

What Lawfare actually is — and what “good” looks like there

Start by reading Lawfare’s official “About” page like a writer, not like a casual reader. Lawfare describes itself as a non-profit multimedia publication focused on “Hard National Security Choices,” and it aims for academic-level depth with magazine-level readability at the pace of news. It publishes written work, audio, and other formats, and it covers topics across national security law, democracy, cybersecurity, executive power, domestic extremism, foreign policy, and more.

That sentence tells you the writing standard: clear, careful, sourced, and useful. If your writing is vague, emotional, or “hot take” style, it will feel wrong here. But if you can explain complex issues like a calm teacher (with real sources), you can learn this style even as a beginner.

Use these Lawfare “home base” links while you learn the site: Lawfare homepage, About Lawfare, Topics page, Masthead, Student Contributor info, Student Program (applications open notice), Job Board, Subscribe, Support, Store.

Section 2 · Fit your idea

Is your idea a Lawfare-shaped idea?

A beginner mistake is to pitch a “topic.” Example: “I want to write about cybersecurity.” That is not an idea. That is a category. A Lawfare-shaped idea is a specific question at the intersection of law, policy, and real-world events.

Use this one-line filter: Can I point to a law, case, document, or official action and ask a narrow question about what it means? If yes, you are closer. If no, you need to narrow your angle.

Use the Topics page to understand the site’s coverage map. Lawfare’s navigation lists topic areas like armed conflict, congress, courts & litigation, criminal justice & rule of law, cybersecurity & tech, democracy & elections, executive branch, foreign relations & international law, intelligence, states & localities, surveillance & privacy, and terrorism & extremism.

Section 3 · Prepare yourself

Build your base: clips + research habits (the beginner ladder)

If you are new to law/policy writing, you should not start with “I want Lawfare to publish me.” Start with: “I want to write one excellent, sourced, calm explainer.” Then repeat. That is the ladder.

Lawfare itself says it has an in-house team plus many contributors, and it has a Student Contributor program to foster the next generation. So your best path is to build proof that you can research and write responsibly.

Now build the actual habit that makes your writing “Lawfare-grade”: a repeatable research note template. Copy this into a Google Doc or Notion page and reuse it for every piece.

Now use Lawfare itself as your training gym. Lawfare’s Topics page shows recent posts across topic areas and formats, including news posts and analysis. You can click “See All” within a topic on the Topics page and build a reading list.

You can also study recurring formats you see on the site. For example, on the Topics page you can see items like “The Situation” (a recurring analysis format) and topic-tagged “Lawfare Daily” items. You don’t need to copy these exactly. But you should learn how Lawfare headlines, how it frames questions, and how it explains context quickly.

Finally, learn who runs what by using the Lawfare Masthead. It lists editors and staff roles (like executive editor, managing editor, and other editorial positions), so you can understand how the editorial machine works.

Section 4 · Practical workflow

Student Contributor Program: how to apply (step-by-step)

If you are a student, the most direct “official” writing path on Lawfare is the Student Contributor Program. Lawfare’s 2025 announcement explains that the program allows current students to submit articles and provide research support on issues at the nexus of national security, law, and policy.

The same announcement states that the program is open to: law students in their second and third years, LLMs, and SJDs (or foreign equivalent), and that graduate students in relevant fields will also be considered.

It also provides an application link and a deadline (for that cycle): applications due by September 12, 2025. Even if you are reading this later, the process logic stays the same: you will likely see a new announcement each year, with updated dates.

Start with these two official pages: Interested in Becoming a Student Contributor? and Student Contributor Program Applications Are Now Open.

Now let’s make your story ideas stronger. Here is a simple “Lawfare pitch mini-template” you can reuse. You can paste it into a note and fill it in for each idea.

If you want to learn what Lawfare values in narrative and explanation, study the kind of pieces that appear under topics. On the Topics page, you can see book reviews, news posts, and recurring analysis formats (for example, items like “The Situation”). That variety is good news: you can enter with explainers, document guides, or case notes, not only huge essays.

Section 5 · Money side

How you actually earn money using Lawfare (honestly)

Let’s be direct: Lawfare is a non-profit publication, and it focuses on quality and public access. Some writing paths on Lawfare are more “publication + portfolio” than “paid per guest post.” So the smart strategy is to use Lawfare in two ways:

• Track 1 (publication path): publish via the Student Contributor Program (student pathway) and build high-trust clips.
• Track 2 (paid path): apply to paid internships and use Lawfare-grade clips to unlock paid writing, research, and policy work elsewhere.

Here are the most concrete “paid” signals publicly visible on the site: Lawfare posts internship opportunities that include hourly pay and application instructions. For example, a Summer 2025 internship post lists compensation of $17.50/hr (with 15–20 hours/week) and notes the internship is paid. Another post for Fall 2025 internships provides an application email (applications@lawfaremedia.org) and a list of required materials (resume, cover letter, transcript, writing sample).

Now let’s turn this into an actionable “money plan” you can follow even as a beginner. Choose one of these tracks depending on your situation:

One more important thing: Lawfare says it provides its content free of charge and supports its work via donations and monthly donors. This matters to you because it tells you the culture: Lawfare is mission-driven, and the editorial bar will often feel closer to a serious journal than to a casual blog. So your most sustainable “earn money” approach is to treat Lawfare as a credibility engine: skills + clips → paid roles, paid writing, and paid research elsewhere.

Section 6 · Ethics & AI

Very important: accuracy, fairness, and responsible AI use

Lawfare’s entire brand is trust. It aims to provide non-partisan, timely analysis with depth and readability. That means your writing has to be more careful than a typical blog post. You are not only writing; you are building a reputation.

Here is a practical accuracy routine you can follow before publishing any law/policy piece. It will feel slow at first. Then it becomes automatic.

Section 7 · Micro-SOP

Final checklist before you submit, apply, or publish

Use this checklist every time you create a Lawfare-style piece. It prevents beginner errors and makes your work feel professional. This also helps if you are applying to the Student Contributor Program or an internship.

Section 8 · Quick answers

FAQ + a big link library (so you can learn faster)