Michelle L.D. (Slawecki) Hanlon, J.D., LL.M.

Michelle L.D. (Slawecki) Hanlon, J.D., LL.M. is Space Lawyer, Space Law Professor, Instructor of Aviation, and Co-Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. She is the Cofounder and President of For All Moonkind and President of the National Space Society.

For All Moonkind was Founded by Michelle and Tim Hanlon in 2017. It is a nonprofit corporation that is the only organization in the world focused on protecting human cultural heritage in outer space. They seek to protect each of the six human lunar landing and similar sites in outer space as part of our common human heritage. In 2018 they were granted the status of Permanent Observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Their entirely volunteer team of space lawyers and policymakers are working to develop reasonable and practical protocols that will balance development and preservation, and include systems to select, manage, and study relevant sites. In this capacity, she was instrumental in the development of the recently enacted One Small Step Act.

In 2017, she became the Founding Partner at ABH Aerospace based in the US and the UAE. They offer consulting services in respect of aviation and aerospace concerns including airport and spaceport management and development, satellite and component manufacturing and operation, launch service, ground station operation, space tourism, and regulatory matters. Michelle continues to provide advice and counsel in respect of all aspects of air, space, and cyber law through ABH Aerospace.

She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law, the oldest Journal in the world devoted to analyzing the legal problems arising out of human activities in space and Faculty Advisor for the Journal of Drone Law and Policy.

Since 2005, Michelle has been advising as Consulting attorney on the applications of U.S. (New York) law in respect of cross-border transactions and litigation. Primary focus on business acquisitions, aviation, and space-related technologies.

Between 2018 and 2019, she Mentored the Creative Disruption Lab, a startup incubator in Toronto. They aim to help companies through the challenges that face machine intelligence startups. Helping more than 50 companies, coming from all across Canada, Bay Area, NYC, and Israel.

Michelle is on the advisory boards of several startups involved in commercial space activities including orbital debris removal, remote sensing, and the support of lunar resource extraction.

Prior to focusing on aviation — including uncrewed aircraft — and space law, Michelle was engaged in a private business law practice. Her legal career commenced with the restructuring of sovereign debt for a number of South and Latin American countries and evolved into the negotiation and implementation of cross-border technology mergers and acquisitions. Her solo practice advised entrepreneurs across four continents on all aspects of bringing their innovative ideas to market: from basic corporate formation to financings and buyouts.

Michelle earned her Doctor of Law in International Law and Legal Studies in 1992 from Georgetown University Law Center. In 1987, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Political Science from Yale University. She earned her Master of Laws on Air and Space Law from McGill University in 2017.

She started her career as Legislative Correspondent for Senator Robert W. Kasten Jr. in 1987 after her graduation as Legislative Liaison between the Senator and his constituents.

Michelle joined Winthrop Stimson Putnam & Roberts in 1989 where she did legal research until 1992. While there, she also became an Associate Attorney on International Finance at Sherman and Sterling in New York City. She continued as Associate Attorney at Faegre & Benson LLP on Mergers and Acquisitions until 1998.

Finally she joined fredwrites.com as a General Counsel, where for seven years, until 2004, she provided strategic thinking and content.

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