Professor and Associate Dean Milena Sterio was interviewed for NPR’s “Morning Edition” show on January 18, on the topic of Secretary Rex Tillerson’s recent announcement that United States’ troops would remain in Syria indefinitely.  Professor Sterio’s interview is available here (segment entitled “Tillerson Says U.S. to Stay in Syria Indefinitely”).

Prof. Mark Sundahl recently signed a contract with Rutledge to write the first textbook on Space Law. The textbook will be marketed globally and will mirror the content of Prof. Sundahl’s global online course, Space Law: A Global View, which will be offered for the first time in Summer 2018.

Prof. Mark Sundahl was appointed to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Space Learning Group to work on reconciling air law and space law. ICAO is the arm of the United Nations that oversees the civil aviation industry. As suborbital space planes and other new-generation spacecraft are developed, the jurisdiction of regulatory agencies must be clarified to determine which agencies will have they power to regulate these new spacecraft. At a minimum, there must be a unified approach to air traffic management as spacecraft are launched more frequently.

Professor Deborah Geier has published her updated textbook, “Federal Income Taxation of Individuals 2018,” with eLandell, a division of CALI (The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction). The textbook incorporates the many tax changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in late December. The book is a free download for all users in pdf, Word, ePub (for iPads) and MOBI (for Kindles) formats and can be accessed here.

Professor Heidi Gorovitz Robertson, the Steven W. Percy Distinguished Professor of Law, attended the Association of American Law Schools 2018 Annual Meeting in San Diego.  She served on the Selection Committee for planning the Natural Resources and Energy Law section program.  Robertson was elected to the position of Chair-Elect of the Natural Resources and Energy Law Section, and she serves on the Executive Committee of the Section on Environmental Law.

In December 2017, Professor David Forte spoke to a meeting of the Young Catholic Professionals on the topic, “Justice and Mercy in the Law.”

Professor and Associate Dean Milena Sterio published an American Society of International Law Insight, entitled “Self-Determination and Secession Under International Law: The Cases of Kurdistan and Catalonia.”  Insights are 2,000-word online articles, published by the American Society of International Law, whose purpose “is to provide concise, objective, and timely background for recent developments of interest to the international community.” (description of Insights on the American Society of International Law website).  Insight proposals are peer-reviewed by the Insight editorial board.

Professor and Associate Dean Milena Sterio presented at the AALS Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, on January 3, on a panel organized by the International Law Section, entitled “The Relevance of Borders in International Law.”

In addition, at the AALS Annual Meeting, Professor Sterio was elected Chair of the International Law Section, and Treasurer of the National Security Law Section.  Professor Sterio continues to serve as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Human Rights Section, which she chaired in 2016.

Chris Sagers, the James A. Thomas Professor of Law, spoke with both the Wall Street Journal  and New York Times columnist James Stewart for his “Common Sense” column, about the deal announced this week in which the Disney organization proposes to acquire substantial parts of the Twenty-First Century Fox film and TV production empire.