Drone pilots, attorneys and general unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enthusiasts filed into the house of the New York City Bar Association in Manhattan on Thursday, April 23 for a roundtable discussion on UAV use and legislation.

The discussion, “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Law, Technology and Social Implications” was co-hosted by Vaughn College and the Aeronautics Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Douglas McQueen, an aviation attorney with LeClair Ryan, moderated the discussion.

Following an introduction from Vaughn College President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo, who illustrated the growing importance of UAV use to both the College’s students and its ever-growing academic programs, McQueen introduced the panel of guest speakers that included aviation attorneys, a policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a safety investigator and Loretta Alkalay, an adjunct professor at Vaughn College.

The forum covered a variety of topics, including FAA regulations, laws regarding hobby and commercial use of UAVs, civil rights implications of UAV regulations and public concern of the misuse of drones, either by government bodies or private users.

McQueen closed the forum with an audience discussion, allowing attendants to ask questions of the panel and to bring up further concerns that had not been covered by the panel.

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Prior to the roundtable discussion, Alkalay spoke to Arise XChange, a business news program, about the increase in UAV use. Click below for video.