A Career in Aviatio One of my favorite things about the aviation industry is that there are so many careers for people to consider, in addition to the ones you read about most often. If you love airplanes but don’t want to be a pilot, flight attendant or aircraft mechanic, there are still dozens of jobs you can have and still be part of our amazing aviation community. I once met a man who was the Arts Program Curator for the San Diego International Airport! His job entailed working with regional and national artists and arts organizations to curate the airport’s exhibitions and performing arts programs. Airports and aviation companies all over the world need accountants, graphic designers, marketing experts, and more. They also need lawyers…. lots of lawyers! Aviation and Space Law is a truly fascinating and much-needed career field. Aviation lawyers provide commercial, regulatory and insurance advice and litigation services to the world’s airlines, manufacturers, and financiers. Key areas of work in this field include aircraft leasing and finance, competition and state aid, insolvency and restructuring, emissions trading rules and aviation disasters. Space law covers decisions and activities for anything traveling beyond the earth’s atmosphere. This includes local, federal, and international laws regarding space travel, weapons, intellectual property law and environmental protection law. In an era where commercial firms like Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Blue Origin are sending people and objects into space, regulations—as well as application of laws—can be in flux and complex. Not to mention the fact that, closer to earth, an increasing number of companies and nations are competing for airspace. And as no one country owns space, space law follows treaties agreed upon by the United Nations. So how does one become an aviation and/or space lawyer? You will first want to pursue a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, considered to be a “first degree” in law. If you want to practice law in the United States, you will, in almost all cases, need a J.D. degree. After that, many consider getting an LLM (Master of Laws) degree
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in Air and Space Law. This graduate program will help students get up-to-speed regarding current laws in this space, as well as how the laws are being applied to new technologies and use cases. Many LLM programs in Air and Space Law leverage current thinking and research to inform their curriculums, ensuring that students have a cutting edge understanding of the field upon graduation. Classes in these programs include topics like Air Law, Public International Law, Space Law, and Aviation Law, as well as courses in related fields like Telecommunications Law and Security Law. Many graduates of Air and Space Law programs find positions in law firms or consulting firms with an aviation and space law practice; legal departments of airports, airlines or aerospace companies; the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or international Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs); ministries of transportation; space organizations like NASA or the European Space Agency; or in academia. The options are diverse and all very exciting! To learn more about this unique career field, I interviewed my friend, Dayan “Day” Hochman-Vigil. At an early age, Day became interested in language, political science, and the arts. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College and a J.D. from the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Law. After attending UNM, Day obtained her LLM in Aviation and Space Law from McGill University in Montréal, Canada. While studying at McGill, she was a consultant and project coordinator to the U.S. Delegation to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, advising ICAO on aviation safety and security laws. During this time, she also contributed to aviation and transportation law-related case notes for an internationally acclaimed international law journal, including producing legal opinions on various international aviation regulatory issues. Day has been an attorney since 2012 and started her own