AboutJournal of Air Law & Commerce

The Journal of Air Law and Commerce, a quarterly publication of the School of Law, was founded at Northwestern University in 1930 and moved to SMU in 1961. The oldest scholarly periodical in the English language devoted primarily to the legal and economic problems affecting aviation and space, it has a worldwide circulation with more than 2,300 subscribers in 54 countries. Articles by distinguished lawyers, economists, government officials, and scholars deal with domestic and international problems of the airline industry, private aviation, and space, as well as general legal topics that have a significant impact on the area of aviation. Also included are student commentaries on a variety of topical issues, casenotes on recent decisions, book reviews, and editorial comments.

Recent Events

JALC has responded to the recent crises in the air in several uniquely visible ways. First, after the events of September 11, 2001, JALC organized a widely recognized emergency conference on air safety titled the Airline Security and Economic Symposium. Additionally, in response to the disasters in the air, the Winter 2002 was reorganized to embody the recent developments in air safety. JALC was recently contacted with a request for a reprint of hundreds of copies of an article titled Airline Passengers’ Rights that appeared in the Winter 2002 issue. This reprint was given to hundreds of family members of the victims that perished aboard the three hijacked planes on September 11. Frequent reprint requests also come from airports and practitioners throughout the country that are interested in particular issues related to air safety and regulation.

To review a list of articles previously published by the journal, please visit our Archive.

Subjects and Authors

Most recently, JALC responded to the space shuttle Columbia disaster by dedicating much of its upcoming Fall Symposia edition to issues involving space travel. JALC has begun to enlist some of the best minds in air and space law to comment on these timely developments.

Air Law Symposium

In addition to publishing its quarterly issues, each spring, the Journal sponsors a Symposium devoted to aviation law and practice. The Symposium is now in its thirty-ninth year, and has gained an international reputation as the leading forum for aviation law. Over thirty speakers present their papers at the two-day Dallas gathering, many of which are later published in JALC. Attendance at the Air Law Symposium has grown to over 500 attorneys, education, and insurance professionals worldwide. This year’s event boasts the largest number of attendees in the history of the Symposia, and promises to be an unforgettable educational experience. For more information on the upcoming Air Law Symposium as well as on-line registration information, please see click here.