International Law Behind the Headlines

About International Law Behind the Headlines

ASIL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization founded in 1906 and chartered by Congress in 1950. ASIL holds Special Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies. The Society is headquartered at Tillar House in Washington, DC.

Publisher

American Society of International Law

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Nov 2018

Latest episode

14 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 63 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   14 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 62 - Is the Iran MOU a Treaty?

   Professor Duncan Hollis explains to host Kal what defines a treaty and analyzes the Iran MOU's legal standing.

2. 

   26 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 61 - Can Iran Levy Tolls on the Strait of Hormuz?

   James Kraska, Charles Stockton Professor of International Maritime Law, discusses Iran's ability to levy tolls on the Strait of Hormuz and the law of the sea in this interview.

3. 

   12 May 2026

   Episode 60 - The Tariff Shockwave: U.S. Trade Policy Under Trump 2.0

   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.

Inside a recent episode

Episode 62 - Is the Iran MOU a Treaty?

Published 14 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So I do think, first and foremost, one would think that if the U.S. used the title MOU here under the Trump administration, they probably thought it was not binding. But then you also have to look at the text. Now, Sometimes it's easy. If the states say, you know, we shall or we must do something, that tends to suggest objectively an intention to be bound under international law, or at least under law. And if they say should, you know, hoping, wishing, intending, planning to, those are more indicative of a non-binding intent. Here, we don't have shalls or shoulds. We have wills. And here again, I think there's a mixed history of whether will is just a statement of future intent without any present intent to be bound. […]

Who has been a guest on International Law Behind the Headlines

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Duncan Hollis
• James Kraska
• Professor Greg Fox

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

419,950

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

21 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

37

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

92

Contact International Law Behind the Headlines

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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