Innovations in Space Law Education at the University of Mississippi

Paper number

IAC-17,E1,4,5,x40194

Author

Prof. Andrea Harrington, University of Mississippi, United States

Year

2017

Abstract

The University of Mississippi offers the only LLM incorporating Air and Space Law in the United States, as well as a unique concentration for our JD (first law degree) students in Remote Sensing, Air, and Space Law. Our LLM program was initiated in 2012, and provides a unique opportunity for our students to gain expertise in this field utilizing hybrid classroom technology. Each of our courses is offered to students both in person and online, simultaneously. Videoconferencing software and classroom equipment enable the students in our courses to interact whether they are in the room or online. This technology also enables our program to utilize highly qualified experts residing in various locations around the world (currently including Canada and China) to teach courses to our students in Mississippi and online. Our classes are recorded so nontraditional students can view them asynchronously as necessary.

Our LLM is open to lawyers who wish to specialize in Air and Space Law and includes in-depth research in a Master’s Thesis component. Our concentration program, on the other hand, is incorporated into our Juris Doctor graduate program, which trains students to be lawyers in the US. It allows them to leave a first law degree with background and experience in the field. The concentration program requires either an in-depth independent research project or an externship in Air or Space Law in order to complete the program. Students who undertake the externship option gain valuable real-world experience in their field, while students who perform an independent research project are mentored through the academic writing process. Students in both the LLM and JD concentration programs have access to opportunities such as editorship on the Journal of Space Law, which was founded at the University of Mississippi in 1973; access to our unique Andrew Haley, Eileen Galloway, and Stephen Gorove space law archives; and participation in the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition run by the IISL. 

The paper and presentation address the successes of our programs (including quality of scholarship and selected employment outcomes) as well as challenges (including marketing and recruitment). I hope to be able to engage educators across space related disciplines to share lessons and experiences from our respective fields.

Abstract document

IAC-17,E1,4,5,x40194.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-17,E1,4,5,x40194.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.