Posted in: Lawyers › None
Charleston Law School student, Addison Osborne’s inspiration to write Jurassic Law: South Carolina's Paleontology and Its Connection With the Legal Field came from his childhood passion for prehistoric life. Even though he is studying the law, his love for paleontology has stayed with him throughout the years.
“When I matriculated into law school, I carried this passion with me and established an entire student organization based on it,” said Osborne
. “A lot of people are unaware of the connection, so I decided to write this piece to show that the legal field and paleontological community do indeed overlap.”
With South Carolina having a unique paleontological presence, Osborne's article serves as a deep dive into the states rich records of Columbian mammoths and the uncovering of large fossil teeth by enslaved people. Osborne also explores the importance of the Hobby License program that permits the recreational collection of artifacts and fossils. For only $18, individuals can acquire a two-year license.
Osborne decided to use his legal teachings to explore the need for Hobby License’s to raise awareness of different niches of law.
“In the past few years, there has been a litany of legal controversies surrounding the ownership of fossils, both domestically and internationally, until the passage of PRPA (Paleontological Resources Protection Act),” said Osborne.
He believes the state can benefit from the Hobby License program and the PRPA in 2009.
“It allows them to regulate divers and hobbyists collecting artifacts and fossils in state waters.”
Osborne submitted this article in conjunction with Dylan Oliver Malagrino, a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law. He offered words of encouragement to any lawyer or law student interested in having their work published.
“I would definitely recommend any aspiring author to submit their work to the SC Lawyer. At first, I was apprehensive of sending the article as I had never been published; however, the staff were so friendly and cooperative in helping my co-author and I.”