First Space Lawyer Graduates 188
PHPNerd writes "Over at space.com is an interesting article about the first space lawyer. He graduated from the University of Mississippi. '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 [...] "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.'"
just what we need (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't maritime law enough? (Score:5, Insightful)
Disputes between citizens of different countries are already resolved on the high seas by maritime law. Dumping too.
Space law just sounds like a degree cooked up by one of those internet universities that send you a pdf degree.
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Re:Isn't maritime law enough? (Score:4, Funny)
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KATRINA to answer your question. LOTS of ships, boats, barges and other craft landed over holy hell amounts of "land" property. As for the issues of a space lawyer, if you think private space travel and space tourism will not create new cases for law, you are mistaken. What happens when Virgin Galactic runs into a Chinese spy satellite? I know this sounds silly, but someone has to get to the nitty gritty of working on such a case. As for letting m
Re:Isn't maritime law enough? (Score:4, Funny)
Trade with them, enslave them, and/or slaughter them.
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No, martime law is not enough (Score:5, Informative)
Don't critique that which you do not know.
The University of Mississippi School of Law [olemiss.edu] "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."
The faculty and staff look very well experienced [olemiss.edu]: international treaties, UN, regulatory exp.; aerospace, aviation, & remote sensing legal work; governmental, public policy groups and private sector.
Curriculum [olemiss.edu] from the National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law [olemiss.edu] :
Remote Sensing Law: "Remote sensing is a valuable technology in science, foreign policy, national security, and commerce. This course provides an overview of international and domestic remote sensing law and identifies issues in the United States and the international community."
U.S. Domestic Space Law: "This course covers the most developed body of domestic space law in the world: that of the United States. It addresses the nation's civil and military programs and offers a wide variety of commercial activites: launches, remote sensing, and satellite communications, among others."
International Space Law: "This course provides an overview of current international space law in U.N. resolutions and treaties and customary law. It identifies legal theory and principles used in the advancement of civil, military, and commercial space activities."
Journal of Space Law (practical): "The Journal of Space Law is an academic review of national and international scope, focusing on the many aspects of space, remote sensing, and aerospace law. Research, writing, and editing assignments, and other duties necessary to the operation of the Journal of Space Law. One hour credited for each term of participation to maximum of 4 hours. Limitation: credit not available if enrolled in the Mississippi Law Journal."
RTFA before uninformed commentary. HTH.
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I believe this is a very important step towards building a space society that ensures the space freedom of the whole space people. I also believe that everything will be so different in space that we will need to prefix it with "space" to form a new space language.
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Re:just what we need (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:just what we need (Score:5, Funny)
Re:just what we need (Score:4, Interesting)
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The first thing that came to mind was banner ads in space made by dropping them out the airlock at just the right interval...
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Most states don't recognize specialization... (Score:5, Informative)
While I suppose it's good to have specialized training in law for a specific field, this just seems silly. I mean, I'm sure there have been lawyers before (working for NASA, Lockheed, Boeing, etc,) that have "specialized" in space law. Who cares if the diploma lists "space law", really?
Nor do they with doctors . . . (Score:5, Interesting)
Many HMO clinics/etc, as a cost-cutting measure, will actually hire 'radiologists' and other specialists who have been unable to pass their boards. This is because, while they are legally allowed to practice whatever medicine they want (assuming they have their state license to practice medicine), they will work cheap 'cause anyone who checks their credentials will likely turn them away.
On another note, always check your physicians credentials
But Nurse Practitioners do (Score:2)
Re:Nor do they with doctors . . . (Score:4, Insightful)
In the field of cardiology, there are a number of subspecialty board examinations. Some of them are necessary (ie: Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology), and some of them are simple money grabs (Echocardiography, Nuclear Medicine, Peripheral Vascular Disease).
Unfortunately, it all sounds impressive when you are a patient.
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Litigious bastards that we Americans are, there's just too much happening in the law 'field' for one person to keep tr
Re:Nor do they with doctors . . . (Score:5, Insightful)
1. Ask to see their medical school diploma. Most will have it hanging in their office. As a general rule, you want a doctor who graduated from a United States medical school. There are a lot of med schools in the carribean for docs who can't hack the U.S. curriculum. There are also some good schools in England as well as a couple other places, so don't immediately discount them if they don't have a U.S. diploma -- but it is a possible warning flag that you need to research.
2. Ask to see their board certification (assuming you are talking to a specialist like an orthopedic surgeon, radiologist, ob/gyn, etc). If they don't have board certification, see if you can find a doctor in your health care's plan that is board certified. Board certification requires a doctor to take a rather grueling exam much akin to a lawyer's boards. If your doc did it, you know right off that they are likely higher-calibur.
3. Ask them if they have ever had their license involuntarily revoked in this or any other state. If so, find another doctor. **Caveat: Doctors have to pay dues to keep their license to practice in a state, so if they moved they might have it revoked for failure to pay dues. Obviously, that's not an issue.
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Most kids interested in space want to be astronauts. When you think about it, space is this massive unexplored frontier full of adventure and wonder. Juxtapose that against the minutia sifting and pedantry of the field of law, and that tells me one thing; this kid must be really bitter.
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I'm with you... let's find the natives, kill them, then start building the first space-McBurgerJoint!
Re:Most states don't recognize specialization... (Score:5, Informative)
...nor do they need to. (Score:2)
I hope you're trolling.
Yes, every lawyer is on equal footing with the law, but the field of law is so vast and complex that it requires specialization. If you think that a family law lawyer expertly knows what he's (she's) doing with patent law, or tort law, I encourage you to go try it. The smart attorney will refer you to someone who specializes in the repective law. The dumb (or maybe adventurous) one might try to handle it themselves.
You don't have a civil engineer designing cell phones just as y
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It's the fact that the college is making a big deal out of this. Again, I'm SURE that there have been "space law" specialists in the past. The fact that this college decided to start offering it doesn't mean that this guy is the FIRST "space lawyer"
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In space... (Score:5, Funny)
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<guy in ISS> WTF?
**Opens Airlock, guy standing there in spacesuit, with package.
<guy outside> You have been served. Have a good day!
<guy in ISS> WTF??
I, for one . . . (Score:5, Funny)
-Space Lawyer
title of the next b-movie: (Score:2)
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Not much workload (Score:2, Funny)
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I think that someone trained to give a paternity test [wikipedia.org] would be a better choice than a "space lawyer." An issue that might need a space lawyer would be nationality, but that would probably be very similar to a cruise boat in that regard, and probably would be more dependent on where the child is born, not conceived.
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Puts a whole new perspective... (Score:5, Insightful)
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I know I shouldn't be dissapointed. (Score:3, Funny)
But is it really all that much to ask that the world's first "space lawyer" actually be from space? Or live there now? I don't care what they specialize in, they just have to have a law degree and either hail from or emigrate to outer space.
I'll be writing my congressman about this.
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"Interstellar Lawyer" or "Galactic Lawyer" or something like that seems a much better job title.
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Hey, it worked for Space Ghost. Nobody was like "so, do you haunt a warehouse or something?"
So maybe Space Lawyer just needs to hang out with Space Ghost, and then nobody will question him like that.
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Quick... (Score:4, Funny)
A good start ... (Score:5, Funny)
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Lawyers make lousy shark bait. (Score:2)
Perhaps not what they meant the label to represent (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Perhaps not what they meant the label to repres (Score:3, Interesting)
Heinlein, a former naval officer, was expanding on the navy slang "sea lawyer". A derogatory term referring to someone who tries to use rules and regulations to shirk responsibilities and/or make excuses for their failures. They are generally not the most popular of shipmates.
Re:Perhaps not what they meant the label to repres (Score:2)
Kryten: (Whipping out his badge) Bullet, Cybernautics!
Cop:: That's traffic control!
Come on, they can do better than that. (Score:2)
I'm sorry (Score:2)
I couldn't hear over all the people laughing.
Hello, beautiful... (Score:2, Funny)
At the High School Reunion (Score:2)
Hero: "Well, I'm a space lawyer."
Classmate: "Do you, like, work on lawsuits about zoning or something?"
Hero: "No, I handle laws based on outer space."
Classmates, in unison: "Hahahahahaha."
Hero: "I'm in the employ of several governments. I could buy all of your houses and probably enslave all of you, and by enslave, I mean pay you a living wage to fan me and bring me drinks."
Classmates, in unison: *cricket* *cricket* "So where did you go to school
Mississippi (Score:2, Funny)
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The big bang theory was developed by a priest, and rejected by some supposedly open minded scientists because he was a priest not on the merits of the theory. The vatican operates an observatory and supports hard core cosmological research. I wouldn't be so quick with the notion that cosmology and religion are incompatible, or that religion and sci
Actually, I think he will be in high demand... (Score:5, Funny)
Hmmm... (Score:3, Funny)
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Perhaps more importantly: if you engage the services of a Space Lawyer, you should really check the small print relating to travel expenses.
no, really (Score:2)
ISS (Score:2)
I was wondering (Score:2)
Uniform? (Score:3, Funny)
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http://tinyurl.com/create.php [tinyurl.com]
But.. (Score:5, Funny)
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Considering my Experiences in Mississippi (Score:2)
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I knew someone was going to make a reference about Mississippians being stupid. Would you say the same thing about William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, B.B. King, Medger Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer or Morgan Freeman?
Considering my experience with Mississippi, the University of Mississippi, and Joanne Gabrynowicz personally, I know that this program is top notch. You probably never knew that both William Faulkner and Jim Barksdale went to Ole Miss. Oh, and Trent Lott went there too, but we Bay A
"First" now redefined to mean "first in the US"? (Score:2)
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I can see how this would happen... (Score:2)
<ol>
<li>A satellite from Russia is launched 10 years ago and has a failure of some sort knocking it out of its intended orbit. A space mission from Country X miscalculates, or is unaware of, its current trajectory. The instant they notice, Country X takes action that diverts the satellite from space to a trajectory that doesn't hit their mission but diverts the satellite again. Who is responsible if the satellite hits a third
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licensed by state? (Score:2)
If that's so, then wouldn't this guy only be able to take cases that were applicable to Misssiisssiiissiipppii (or however it's spelt).
Personally, I can't see him geting a lot of business - unless of course it's merely a novelty act and he gets a proper job doing divorces or whatever they have out there.
coming soon: a suit against the law of gravity (Score:2)
Rather than design new propulsion systems to make space travel more efficient, let's just sue Issac Newton, get the law repealed and go there for free.
I wonder if his couse even considered the possibilty that there are natural laws and manmade laws. I'd love to see this in a courtroom. Sadly, given the state of the educational & legsal systems, I might.
So what derisive nickname can we give them? (Score:2)
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Wouldn't that be "crew emergency return vehicle" chaser.
Reminds me of an Allo Allo scene (Score:2)
I guess the astronauts must have the same fears now. Nobody can escape spacelawyers!
bzzt (Score:5, Informative)
And just to be nitpicky, just because this person graduates from law school with this certificate doesn't make them a "space lawyer." Graduating from law school doesn't make you a lawyer. Passing the bar makes you a lawyer, and the certificate doesn't mean a damn.
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Mississippi - Lawsuit Capital of the USA (Score:3, Interesting)
Space lawyer (Score:2)
If for example China were to shoot down a US satellite I don't think it will be "space lawyers" that get launched.
The last thing we need is another avenue for frivolous litigation. "Hey asshole, you parked your satellite in my orbit!" "So sue me."
Go Ahead (Score:2)
Maybe we can use them as Reaver bait, or chest-burster incubators. Perhaps they'll be able to make friends.
How does this work? (Score:2)
Two Words (Score:2)
First Case (Score:2)
In Soviet Russia (Score:2)
Actually, I think he's the second... (Score:2)
At last it happens. (Score:2)
"This is a court of SPACE LAW, not a theatre!"
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2) Ole Miss is a Space Grant [wikipedia.org] school. Why it's Ole Miss and not Mississippi State, where the Aerospace Engineering program is, I'll never understand. But that's how it is. There are several lines of space related research going on at both schools, though.
Mississippi State may have the right engineers but that has nothing to do with having the right lawyers and the right law school. The Ole Miss law school is top notch, and the most powerful people in the state all went there, therefore it gets the best funding.
I suspect that the program is at Ole Miss because that's where (at least some) experts in space law happen to work.
Your suspicion is correct, and her name is Joanne Gabrynowicz.
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