Who owns the vast riches of space? We know that there are great deposits of materials of great value on the Moon, in asteroids, and scattered throughout the solar system. The spacefaring powers of Earth will seek them out to support our expansion throughout cislunar space and beyond. But to avoid the resource-related conflicts that have plagued us on Earth for centuries, new legal regimes much evolve to supplement and, in some cases, replace existing legal structures. We are seeing some of the first attempts at formal policy with the Artemis Accords, but these are not yet universally accepted and only begin to cover the many needs of a truly spacefaring species. Join some of the top legal scholars in space law as we strive to see the future of policy in the domain of space.
Space Law and Policy
Session Chair Info
Executive Director, Center for Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi
Michelle Hanlon is the Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law and a Professor of Practice within the Air and Space Law program at the University of Mississippi School of Law. She is recognized as a leading figure in space law, holding the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law, the world’s oldest law journal dedicated to legal issues related to human activities in outer space. Additionally, Michelle serves as the Faculty Advisor for the Journal of Drone Law and Policy.
As a co-founder and a key figure in For All Moonkind, Inc., Michelle continues her commitment to preserving human cultural heritage in outer space. This nonprofit organization, unique in its focus, has gained recognition by the United Nations as a Permanent Observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Michelle’s contributions to space activism were honored in 2023 when she received the Chris Pancratz Space Activist of the Year Award from the National Space Society.
Her academic credentials include a B.A. in Political Science from Yale College, a J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, and an LL.M. in Air and Space Law from McGill University. Before her focus on aviation and space law, Michelle had a diverse legal career, beginning with restructuring sovereign debt in South and Latin American countries and evolving into cross-border technology mergers and acquisitions. Her solo practice covered a wide range of consulting services for entrepreneurs globally, encompassing corporate formation, financings, and buyouts. Currently, she continues to provide expert advice and counsel in all aspects of air, space, and cyber law through ABH Aerospace, LLC, a consulting firm.
