The Institute for International Law and Justice (IILJ) at NYU Law School is soliciting applications for its inaugural cohort of Space & Planetary Law Scholars, from students who in 2025-6 will be full-time 2L, 3L, or LLM students at NYU Law. This program does not carry additional funding, but participants engage actively with faculty and peers in work on law and governance topics connected with space and earth themes. This includes oceans, climate, biodiversity, nuclear, geoengineering, satellite, lunar, and planetary issues. Ultimate topics will be chosen based on the student’s interest and in conjunction with faculty. They can range from very practical concerns to more theoretical questions. Students may be interested in business, security, environment, rights and justice issues, history, planetary science and technology issues, data/AI law, international and UN or EU law, dispute management, national space or planetary programs, science & technology studies’ (STS) approaches to artifacts such as dust or infrastructure, etc. The main focus will be on developing legal regimes and governance for the future, at different scales.
Participants typically produce academic papers, but alternatives can include strategic plans, podcasts, and short documentaries. We seek students who are interested in thinking creatively, critically, and productively! Guidance and mentorship throughout the program will be provided by Professors Benedict Kingsbury, Katrina Wyman, and Angelina Fisher.
Selected students will generally be required to enroll in the Space and Planetary Law Colloquium (Fall 2025) and in the International Law/International Justice Seminar (Spring 2026). (Complexities about different student schedules will be worked out as needed.) Towards the end of the Spring 2026 semester, students will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work at a conference held at NYU School of Law. Where suitable, students may also be invited to participate in external workshops and conferences. Modest travel support will be available in those cases.