Worst Treaties Ever?

While we are still on sources, I thought you might be interested in a short discussion on "the worst treaties ever" - a light hearted discussion on a blog that you should become familiar with, called Opinio Juris.

Arms Trade Treaty Exercise

The Arms Trade Treaty came into effect in 2013. The U.S. has signed, but not yet ratified the treaty (in part due to concerns of some that it might require policies that would conflict with the 2nd Amendment, though the U.S. government has argued that such concerns are groundless).

Assume that you have been asked to brief your local Senator on how the U.S. might be able to withdraw from the Treaty in the event that it ratifies but later decides it no longer wants to bound by the Treaty. Prepare speaking notes on how you would brief the Senator.

The Iran Deal as Treaty

As discussed in class today, the so-called "Iran Deal" - that is, the agreement among the P5+1 and Iran regarding limits on Iran's nuclear enrichment and development program - is one of the major international issues of the year. Just today it was reported that President Obama now has sufficient support in the Senate to ensure that Congress cannot reject the agreement. But how should we assess the agreement as a matter of international law? Looking through the lens of the law of treaties, take a look: https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/iran-deal

Update: If anyone is having difficulty getting to the full text of the agreement from the Whitehouse site, here is an alternative: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/world/full-text-of-the-iran-nuclear-deal/1651/