State Dept lawyer blogging

Over at Opinio Juris, a law blog to which professor (and AMERICAblog reader) Kevin Jon Heller contributes, there's a new guest blogger. Normally I wouldn't point that out . . . but the guest is John Bellinger, the head of the Office of the Legal Adviser at the State Department. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time anyone at the State Department – particularly someone in such a critical position – has blogged in an official capacity, and in addition to being quite a coup for Opinio Juris, the postings have been fascinating. People with legal education will find it particularly interesting, but really anyone with an interest in the legal aspects of fighting terrorism, making international policy, or international law in general should check it out.

Belliger's first post is here, and he's done several additional posts, engaging to an impressive degree with commenters and other contributors to the blog. While I greatly disagree with some of his perspectives, it's really quite a milestone to have someone like this in the blogosphere.

He's writing well, but also getting some good challenges, and to a large degree, the people in the bureaucracy are the ones who direct and shape many of the most important government policies.