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Old 09-May-2008, 08:13 AM
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Default Lawyers in Space!

No, it's not a 50s scifi nor is it Weird Al covering Jackson Browne.

First Space Lawyer Graduates

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A student at the University of Mississippi will leap into the final frontier of the legal system Saturday when he receives the first-ever space law certificate in the United States.
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Michael Dodge of Long Beach, Calif., earned the special distinction along with his law degree through the National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law at the university's law school.

"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," Dodge said in a statement. "Ole Miss is, simply put, the space law expert, and anyone wishing practice in this field should get their legal education here."

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.
Surely this will turn out well.
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Old 09-May-2008, 08:43 AM
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Default Re: Lawyers in Space!

Lawyers in space:

lawyers-space-lawyer-space-2.jpg
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Old 09-May-2008, 10:58 AM
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To me this sounds very legit.
In future there will be some interesting legal actions with the privatisation of space travel in full swing.
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Old 09-May-2008, 02:22 PM
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Imagine the lawyer jokes.
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Old 09-May-2008, 06:34 PM
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450,000 lawyers to be sent to mars. 2 to return.

Not bad.
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Old 09-May-2008, 06:56 PM
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Originally Posted by mfumbesi View Post
To me this sounds very legit.
In future there will be some interesting legal actions with the privatisation of space travel in full swing.
I agree, in fact, even without the privatisation, there is still a matter of interpreting the various pacts and agreements.

Although; that doesn't mean the thought of space-law isn't amusing.

I wonder when we're going to get the first space-suit.
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Old 09-May-2008, 07:10 PM
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Lawyers in space? I say space the lawyers!

I've been working on a Heinlein-ian proverb regarding lawyers: "A lawyer is a politician who cooperates with others of his kind to prevent people from working out simple problems by convincing them that the only way they can work out their issues is to work through them (cumshaw) and the court system (which they created) by the laws of the land (which they also created)."

What do you think?

A shark is generally considered one of the higher forms of marine life (aside from killer whales, which are able to attack even great whites with impunity). There's a reason lawyers are sharks are the co-subject of so many lawyer jokes. In deference to the shark, I should say, "shark jokes."

Necessary evil?

No. Those who resort to lawyers have either been brought up to think that's their only resort, or they realize that if they try to contest an issue in a court (presided by a judge who's a former lawyer), they'll fair much better with a lawyer.
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Old 09-May-2008, 07:40 PM
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LAWYER, n.
One skilled in circumvention of the law.

POLITICIAN, n.
An eel in the fundamental mud upon which the superstructure of organized society is reared. When we wriggles he mistakes the agitation of his tail for the trembling of the edifice. As compared with the statesman, he suffers the disadvantage of being alive.
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Old 09-May-2008, 08:23 PM
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Astronaut 1: What do we do about the aliens who just blew up our ship.
Astronaut 2: Call the space lawyer and we'll sue 'em for destroying our property.
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Old 09-May-2008, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by mugaliens View Post
What do you think?
I think you're looking at lawyers from a different perspective than the one in which they're most useful. I just went through the Social Security process, and a lawyer was an important thing to have there--but even there, it wasn't the most useful place to have one. That would be a criminal trial in which I was innocent.

I don't think lawyers are a necessary evil. That's because I don't think specialization of function is evil.
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Old 09-May-2008, 09:30 PM
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Lawyers in space sounds like a fine idea so long as you don't bring them back. They'd be able to do less damage to the rest of us there.
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Old 09-May-2008, 11:59 PM
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In space no one can hear you object.
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Old 10-May-2008, 12:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Gillianren View Post
I think you're looking at lawyers from a different perspective than the one in which they're most useful. I just went through the Social Security process, and a lawyer was an important thing to have there--but even there, it wasn't the most useful place to have one. That would be a criminal trial in which I was innocent.

I don't think lawyers are a necessary evil. That's because I don't think specialization of function is evil.
I agree, specialization of function is the basis of civilization.Without it we would have to be our own doctors/farmers/soldiers/police officers/craftsman, with . . .mixed, results. Unless you live in some 'noble savage' fantasy, the pre-stone ages sucked.
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Old 10-May-2008, 10:14 PM
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the only downside it lead to this.
http://www.awpi.com/Combs/Humor/borg-micro.html
(old startrek joke)
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Old 10-May-2008, 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by danscope View Post
450,000 lawyers to be sent to mars. 2 to return.

Not bad.
2 many came back.
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Old 10-May-2008, 10:20 PM
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Originally Posted by davidlpf View Post
the only downside it lead to this.
http://www.awpi.com/Combs/Humor/borg-micro.html
(old startrek joke)
War makes for strange bedfellows. . .
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Old 10-May-2008, 11:57 PM
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They managed to combine the two things everybody beats up on. Microsoft and lawyers.
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Old 11-May-2008, 04:30 AM
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As Garrison Keilor has pointed out, it's the worst 95% of lawyers that give the rest a bad name.
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Old 11-May-2008, 04:36 AM
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As Garrison Keilor has pointed out, it's the worst 95% of lawyers that give the rest a bad name.
42.7% percent of statistics are made up on the spot
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Old 11-May-2008, 07:03 AM
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Lawyers in space? You mean ejected out the airlock with out a suit?
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Old 11-May-2008, 12:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RalofTyr