George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Civil Justice — Can Common Law Adjust to a Drone World?


Event Details

  • Date:
  • Division: Civil Justice Academy

Drones are increasingly being used for all sorts of economic and recreational activities, from bringing you the best images of a halfpipe contestant flying in the air at the Olympics to ensuring the most efficient mapping of agricultural resources to searching hard to reach or see areas like mines, caves, or under bridges to, of course, surveillance and weaponry which were some of their earliest uses. The possibilities for use are also ever-expanding, including the futuristic delivery of packages. As with all things, as technology improves, prices go down, and the technology becomes more accessible; thus the breadth of users and uses is sure to continue on an ever-faster upward trajectory. The law too, must be ready to adapt. The speakers in this webinar are all experts on the intersection of drones and the law. They discussed whether the common law – including property, contracts, and torts – is fit to adapt to the new drone world. The experts examined what lawyers, judges, and policymakers need to understand to help the law adjust. Among other topics, the panelists discussed some of the themes and concerns raised in a January 5, 2022 report from the Institute for Legal Reform, Torts of the Future: Drones.

Hillary Farber, Professor of Law, UMass School of Law

Troy Rule, Professor of Law, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Joshua S. Turner, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP

Moderator: Donald J. KochanProfessor of Law and Deputy Executive Director of the Law and Economics Center, Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University

Click below to watch the recorded webinar!

Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or 703.993.2566