Recent Articles
Preventing a Cyber-9/11: How Universal Jurisdiction Could Protect International Aviation in the Digital Age
By Laura K. Ashdown Abstract In recent decades, the international aviation community has started to transition away from relying on traditional air transport systems such as radar and ground-based air traffic control. With the development and adoption of digital...
A Re-Examination of Tarmac Delays Causes and Solutions
By P. Paul Fitzgerald Abstract Tarmac delays approaching or exceeding twenty-four hours are associated with the diversion of a large number of aircraft on September 11, 2001, and the diversion of distressed aircraft in emergency situations to the closest available...
Minimum International Norms For Managing Space Traffic, Space Debris, and Near Earth Object Impacts
By Paul B. Larsen Abstract “New Space" arrived with the sudden prospect of thousands of small satellites being launched into orbit and the realization that space traffic management (STM), space debris, and Near-Earth Object (NEO) problems need to be resolved so that...
Recent Student Work
Not in My Backyard: State v. Quiday and Warrantless Aerial Police Surveillance
By Hayden Brown Abstract When is a search a "search"? The United States Supreme Court established a general answer to this question in the seminal Fourth Amendment case Katz v. United States. Justice Harlan’s concurring opinion in Katz held that in most situations,...
Flying in the Face of Suspicionless Cell Phone Searches: Fourth Circuit Grants Airline Passengers Heightened Protection From Searches by Customs Officers
By Andrea deLorimier Abstract In United States v. Kolsuz, the court held that a forensic examination of a cell phone at the airport must be categorized as a nonroutine border search and can only be conducted upon a showing of reasonable suspicion. The court did not...
Taking an Independent Look at the Air Carrier Access Act: Why No Private Right of Action Exists
By Madison Gafford Abstract In Stokes v. Southwest Airlines, the Fifth Circuit was forced to overturn its own precedent in order to determine that there is no independent private right of action to enforce the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) of 1986. This was due to a...
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SMU Dedman School of Law is proud to be the home of three independent law review associations, which altogether publish eight independent legal journals.
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In addition to recent articles, our digital repository also includes nearly 3,000 Journal of Air Law & Commerce articles and other papers.
Air Law Symposium
The 54th Annual Air Law Symposium will be held Wednesday, April 1 to Thursday, April 2, 2020 in Irving, Texas. The symposium will highlight emerging technology, current litigation, and governance best practices.
JALC Submissions
We welcome submissions from judges, professors, practitioners, and law clerks on a range of air law topics. For more information about submission of scholarship for consideration, please review the Submissions page for all applicable requirements.
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