177 to be awarded juris doctor degrees
OXFORD, Miss. – Law student Michael Dodge earns a special
distinction Saturday at the University of Mississippi when
he is awarded the juris doctor degree. Dodge, of Long
Beach, becomes the first graduate to also receive a special
space law certificate, the only one of its kind in the
country.
Seven other students are slated to receive certificates in
criminal law, the first to be awarded from the law school.
These eight students are among 177 graduates scheduled to
be awarded degrees Saturday (May 10) at the law school’s 11
a.m. commencement ceremony in the Grove. Robert Bailess,
president of the Mississippi Bar, is the speaker. Bailess
earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Ole Miss
and is a partner in the Vicksburg firm Wheeless, Shappley,
Bailess & Rector LLP.
Dodge is to be awarded the space law certificate through
the law school’s National Center for Remote Sensing, Air
and Space Law.
“For me the certificate provides both a tremendous sense of
achievement, and also a potential enticement for
employers,” Dodge said, adding that no where else could he
have gained such a comprehensive education in space, air
and remote sensing law.
“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,” he said. “Ole Miss is, simply put, the
space law expert, and anyone wishing practice in this field
should get their legal education here.”
Dodge said his interest in space law stems from a
fascination with space exploration that began when he was a
young child, so when he started law school, his interest in
space 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,” he said.
“After that, I became curious as to why space needed
regulation, and how legal regimes could be constructed to
govern such an expanse. After meeting Professor (Joanne)
Gabrynowicz, my curiosity only grew, and ever since, I have
been dedicated to researching legal issues associated with
humankind’s utilization of space.”
Gabrynowicz, director of the center, said the new
concentration provides Dodge and students to come with a
competitive edge in the aerospace industry.
“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,” she said.
She explained that the certificate is available by offering
the only dedicated aerospace law curriculum in the nation
from an American Bar Association-accredited law school.
Requirements to earn the certificate include 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.
Law Dean Samuel M. Davis 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.”
Students scheduled to receive inaugural criminal
law certificates this year are Michael C. Adams of
Lynchburg, Va.; Angela M. Gallagher of Oxford;
William Jeffrey Jernigan of Vicksburg; Lori Lynn
King of Meridian; Daniel B. McLeroy of Center,
Texas; Abigail Morrissey of Oxford; and Nicole A.
Short of Oxford.
Students earning this certification must complete a number
of requirements in addition to their general legal studies,
including 27 credit hours in criminal law and
advocacy-related subjects, as well as clinical and writing
assignments. The program is designed to provide students
with broad-based exposure to concepts, topics and skills
vital to criminal law, said Hans Sinha, professor and
director of the program.
Davis said the graduation ceremony marks the end of a
rigorous journey for students.
“Graduation represents the culmination of three years of
difficult, challenging and – I hope – interesting work,” he
said. “I marvel each year at how our students have grown
and how much they have learned in such a short period of
time. I wish all of them the very best.”
Established in 1999, the National Center for Remote
Sensing, Air and Space Law is a source for research,
education, outreach activities and information exchange
among academic, government and commercial organizations
related to the legal aspects of human activities using
aerospace technologies.
The National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law offers
a number of clinical programs for law students and focuses
on issues related to the criminal justice system with
funding from the Department of Justice.
For more information, go to http://www.law.olemiss.edu.