An Out-of-This-World Lawyer Making Great Use of Space

Thousands of kids have likely dreamed of working for NASA as an astronaut. But how many science fiction-loving youth dream of being a NASA lawyer when they grow up? Meet Laura Montgomery. 

Although NASA didn’t end up on her CV, Laura spent more than two decades as a space lawyer with the FAA. Now in private practice, she specializes in regulatory space law, commercial space transportation, and the Outer Space Treaties, while teaching space law at Catholic University.

During her years as FAA counsel, Laura helped draft regulations for space launch safety, explosive siting, and commercial space tourism. But she explains how this niche area of law really includes all areas of law, including property law (space mining) and criminal law (US criminal justice jurisdiction extends to outer space).

Join us on this episode as Laura spins fascinating tales of her experiences as a space lawyer and a science fiction writer. She has 16 titles in print that showcase her deep space knowledge and sometimes feature space lawyers in her casts of characters.