Overheard at the Lamar Law Center

Outer space is ‘in’ for future lawyers

Josseph Batey and Dawn Oliver Attorneys with NASA

Lawyer in the Library lectures for first-year students

Josseph Batey (JD 82) and his colleague Dawn Oliver focused their August presentation to first-year students on how to find a niche in the legal world and then succeed in that chosen field.

Batey, who serves as launch services program counsel for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, explained that each NASA center has an in-house law office that deals with everything from contract law and labor law to international agreements regarding space launches and rocketry.

He encouraged students to participate in activities within the law school, such as writing for the Journal of Space Law or the Mississippi Law Journal, which help law students hone their skills in research and writing.

“My education here prepared me very well for my career,” he said, adding there is a need for more young lawyers in the field of space law.

“The space program is going to change a lot over the next few years,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to reach back to the moon and then to Mars.”

Oliver added that, while it’s important for young law students to focus in on topics that intrigue them, it’s equally important for them to gain a broad understanding of the law.

“Take courses that you have an interest in, but also take courses that you don’t have an interest in,” she told the group of more than 100 first-year students. “You never know when you might find an area that you want to make a career of. And I encourage you to take every opportunity to meet lawyers and make contacts along the way.”