The DePaul Law Review held its 25th annual symposium, “The UAS Dilemma: Unlimited Potential, Unresolved Concerns,” in March. The symposium built on the February 15, 2015 proposed rule by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which established a framework to allow routine use of certain small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The final rule is anticipated next year. Third-year student, licensed pilot and Law Review Symposium Editor Daniel Ross organized the event in coordination with the International Institute for Aviation Law (IALI).
The College of Law was represented by IALI Director Brian F. Havel, who brought an international focus to the discussion, and Douglas M. Marshall, who discussed possible legislation for larger UAS. Marshall will teach DePaul’s new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Law course in fall 2015, the first of its kind in the country. A representative from the FAA provided an overview of the legal background and enforcement of UAS.
“The bottom line is we’re not able to roll out new regulations at the speed with which technology has developed,” commented IALI Executive Director Steve Rudolph. “The symposium brought a lot of these issues to the fore. It enabled DePaul to present myriad issues related to the use of UAS: from First Amendment privacy rights to the very raw technical issues of collision with other aircraft and every issue in-between.”