Aviation Law 101: An Introduction to Representing Families in Airline Disasters

This program, presented by aviation attorney Justin Green, covers the international and domestic laws and regulations that make up "aviation law."

The program will address the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization established at the Convention. Next, the program will discuss the laws that govern airline liability to passengers who are injured and killed on international flights, including the Warsaw Convention of 1929 and the Montreal Convention of 1999. It will then move to domestic U.S. law, including the 1958 Federal Aviation Act, which established the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and authorized the FAA to issue federal aviation regulations, and the 1976 Airline Deregulation Act, which preempted state law that impact airline price, routes or services. Green will also discuss the Federal Tort Claims Act, which governs claims against the U.S. government, the Foreign Service Immunities Act, which governs claims against foreign nations, including state owned airlines, 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, the Government Contractor Defense, and other federal laws and agencies that impact aviation accident cases. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the international and domestic laws and regulations that govern aviation law
2. Discuss the mission and duties of the National Transportation Safety Board
3. Review the role of state law in aviation cases