international law of treaties; the role of the United Nations; domestic nonproliferation policymaking structures and processes; the roles of the executive and legislative branches of government; the utility of international nonproliferation sanctions; the legality of the use of force to combat proliferation; legal solutions to the problem of nuclear smuggling; the effectiveness of multilateral safeguards and inspections; and rules governing civilian commerce in nuclear goods. Attention will be given to examining the hierarchy of legal instruments; mandatory versus voluntary measures and the evolution of norms and customary law; the interaction of international agreements and domestic law; and the interplay of programs, mandatory rules, and discretionary policy. In addition, the course will also explore the impact on the effectiveness of law-based nonproliferation measures of gaps in their scope, acceptance, implementation, and enforcement.

The course will be conducted using both the lecture and classroom exercises, and active student participation is both encouraged and required.