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."
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.
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.
The
university offers the only dedicated aerospace law curriculum in the nation
from an American Bar Association-accredited law school, and requires courses on
U.S. space and aviation law, international space and aviation law, and remote
sensing; participation in the publication of the Journal of Space Law; and
independent research. The National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space
Law was founding in 1999.
"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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