This advanced, practice-focused seminar examines how U.S. export controls and economic sanctions regulate global trade and reshape international business operations. These legal regimes—administered primarily by the Department of Commerce, Department of Treasury, and other federal agencies—extend far beyond U.S. borders, influencing how companies structure transactions, manage supply chains, and assess geopolitical risk.
The course focuses on how lawyers advise clients in high-stakes environments: structuring cross-border deals, conducting compliance due diligence, responding to enforcement actions, and navigating overlapping regulatory regimes. Students will analyze licensing systems, sanctions programs, export classifications, and enforcement trends, while engaging with real-world challenges such as secondary sanctions, financial system exposure, and multi-jurisdictional conflicts.
The seminar treats export controls and sanctions as a core strategic issue in global legal practice, where law, markets, and foreign policy intersect.
This course assumes prior study of international trade law, national security law, or business law.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Understand the structure of U.S. export control and sanctions regimes.
2. Identify jurisdictional triggers for regulatory application.
3. Classify goods, technology, and services under export rules.
4. Evaluate compliance risks in cross-border transactions.
5. Understand licensing requirements and exemptions.
6. Analyze enforcement actions and penalties.
7. Structure transactions to mitigate sanctions exposure.
8. Navigate conflicts between U.S. and foreign law.
9. Advise clients on compliance program design.
10. Develop practical legal strategies for global trade operations.
