First Space Lawyer Graduates
Bring out the lawyer jokes. Combining space and lawyers in the same sentence surely opens the door for a plethora of majestic lawyer jabs. Some sly comedians are surely burning up bar napkins trying to find the perfect joke for this new degree. Something along the lines of hot air, put them in a ship and shoot them into space, etc.
A student at the University of Mississippi will leap into the final frontier of the legal system Saturday when he receives the first-ever space law certificate in the United States.
Michael Dodge of Long Beach, Miss., earned the special distinction along with his law degree through the National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law at the university’s law school.
“The professors and personnel here are the highest quality that can be found anywhere in the world, and I have learned from them the necessary skills I will need to effectively practice space law,” Dodge said in a statement. “Ole Miss is, simply put, the space law expert, and anyone wishing practice in this field should get their legal education here.”
What the hell are these guys going to work on as “Space Lawyers” anyways? Disputes between Jedi and The Empire? Land issues between Marvin the Martian and Bugs Bunny digging up his land by tunneling below the ground? Disputes over transmissions of things like The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch being intercepted and sold for profit by aliens?
Space.com gives us a few “realistic” ideas I suppose. Any future space lawyer might have to deal with issues ranging from the fallout over satellite shoot-downs to legal disputes between astronauts onboard the International Space Station. The expanding privatization of the space sector may also pose new legal challenges.
Amazing. Space wars would be awesome. Build satellites to fight other satellites, and the winner gets the win. Armies of suicide robot bombers trying to destroy enemy satellites and end all hope for its nations. Space Terrorism. Get in on the ground floor.
Dodge’s interest in space law grew from an early fascination with space exploration that was based mostly on science and history.
“Once I came to the law school, I read that there was an attorney here that specialized in space law,” Dodge said. “After that, I became curious as to why space needed regulation, and how legal regimes could be constructed to govern such an expanse.”Dodge’s interest in space law grew from an early fascination with space exploration that was based mostly on science and history.
“Once I came to the law school, I read that there was an attorney here that specialized in space law,” Dodge said. “After that, I became curious as to why space needed regulation, and how legal regimes could be constructed to govern such an expanse.”
That led to a meeting with Joanne Gabrynowicz, director of the University of Mississippi’s space law center.
“Students in this program have unparalleled opportunities to participate in the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court competition, the Journal of Space Law, center conferences and events, and internships that strengthen their future employment options,” Gabrynowicz said.
“We are particularly proud to be offering these space law certificates for the first time, since ours is the only program of its kind in the U.S. and only one of two in North America,” said Samuel Davis, law dean at the University of Mississippi.
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Filed under: Space by JMH
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