International Law Behind the Headlines

Duncan Hollis, Professor at Temple and editor of The Oxford Guide to Treaties, joins Kal to discuss what makes a treaty, how to think about the Iran deal, and why this issue matters.

Can Iran Levy Tolls on the Strait of Hormuz? Transit passage and the law of the sea with James Kraska, Charles Stockton Professor of international Maritime Law at the US Naval War College.

Tariffs are back and they’re reshaping the international economic landscape in real time. The second Trump administration has unleashed a wave of trade measures that shift by the week, justified by goals that include everything from fighting unfair trade practices, to making everyday goods more affordable for American consumers, to national security. So where does international law fit in? And can the multilateral trading system absorb the shock? Catherine is joined by former U.S. Trade Representative and now Executive Director of the Coalition for New Trade, Ambassador Katherine Tai, for a candid conversation about what’s driving these policies, what they’re disrupting, and what the road ahead looks like.

Boarding and Seizing Ships (and related Caribbean issues) with Michael Scharf, President of the American Branch of the International Law Association

Former Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Larry Johnson joins the podcast to explain the legal underpinnings of this year’s controversy at the UN General Assembly over visas and visa restrictions for diplomats from Palestine and Iran.