Jurassic Law: South Carolina’s Paleontology and Its Connection with the Legal Field

Charleston School of Law student Addison “Oz” Osborne and Professor Dylan Malagrino  coauthored a new article in the latest issue of SC Lawyer Magazine. The story — Jurassic Law: South Carolina’s Paleontology and Its Connection with the Legal Field — is available now.

Many are unaware of South Carolina’s footprint in the paleontology community. Even more are now scratching their heads wondering what paleontology has to do with the law. And yet, there are statutes and regulations governing the excavation, transportation, and preservation of archaeological and paleontological finds.

Novice paleontologists — or any future member of the fossilist community or their legal advisors must check state statutes and regulations before going to collect fossils or artifacts as the law in every state may vary. For example, as this article discusses, South Carolina has an unusual “Hobby License” program, permitting recreational collection of artifacts and fossils. But, before we discuss the implications South Carolina’s fossil record has had on the legality of collecting finds, we start at the beginning, 541 million years ago.

Read the full story in SC Lawyer Magazine

CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW QUICK FACTS

The Charleston School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school nationally recognized for its student-centric culture. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing you for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession.

  • The Princeton Review ranks Charleston School of Law professors sixth in the country for faculty accessibility and No. 12 nationwide in quality of teaching (2022)
  • Charleston School of Law faculty ranked among the top of The Princeton Review’s list of Best Professors in the nation (2016-2018)
  • Experiential Learning: Charleston School of Law students have access to more than 150 externship sites, creating opportunities for experiential learning in the legal field.
  • Community Service: Charleston School of Law students have performed more than 241,000 community service hours (2004-current).
  • Students have won the National Tax Moot Court Championship for seven consecutive years (2012-2018)

Related stories from the Charleston School of Law