Leslie Tennen

Biography

Leslie I. Tennen has focused on space law matters for more than 40 years. He is a founding partner in the Law Offices of Sterns and Tennen in Phoenix, Arizona, the first law firm to be elected as a member of the International Astronautical Federation. He is Legal Counsel for the International Academy of Astronautics and is a member of the IAA Board of Trustees. He received his B.A. and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Arizona, and studied international and comparative law at the Hebrew University at Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel. He is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, and received the highest score on the February, 1977, Arizona Bar Exam. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and the United States District Court. Les was appointed by the Governor of the State of Arizona to serve as a Commissioner on the Arizona Space Commission from 1994 to 2000, and is a frequent lecturer at aerospace conferences and colloquia. He has been a consultant and advisor on space matters to public and private organizations on the state, national and international levels, and has been a participant at workshops and congresses around the world. He has authored and co-authored more than 50 articles and book chapters. He is a former Member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Space Law, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the IISL Manfred Lachs Moot Court Committee and Chair of the Election Committee. In 1998, he was the co-recipient, with Patricia Margaret Sterns, of the IISL Award of Appreciation, and in 2006 he received the IISL Distinguished Service Award.