Austin aviation attorney Michael Slack has been appointed to the External Advisory Board for Texas A&M’s Hagler Institute for Advanced Study.
The Hagler Institute was established in 2010 by the Texas A&M regents to create an incubator for advanced study in various fields, including medicine, science, architecture, social sciences, business, education, engineering, agriculture, law, and public and foreign policy. The institute attracts international talent in these fields to conduct research at Texas A&M, in which students take part.
The institute’s External Advisory Board annually reviews the activities of the Institute, providing guidance and recommendations.
“Michael Slack is among the most distinguished attorneys in the nation,” said John L. Junkins, founding director of the Hagler Institute. “His combination of aviation expertise as a pilot and an aerospace engineer, and his world class legal expertise has made truly remarkable impacts in aviation law. He is a highly successful trial lawyer who has greatly contributed to aviation safety. He has contributed greatly as a volunteer and leader to Texas A&M, the legal profession, and to the nation.”
Slack earned his B.S. and M.S. in aerospace engineering at Texas A&M before obtaining his J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin.
Before becoming a lawyer, Slack was a senior aerospace engineer at NASA, where he worked on the Apollo-Soyuz and Space Shuttle programs. During this time, he developed a system to greatly reduce flight loads during ascent.
In 2002, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics named Slack an associate fellow. He’s also been awarded the Outstanding Aerospace Engineer and Distinguished Aerospace Engineer alumni awards by Texas A&M’s Department of Aerospace Engineering.
As a lawyer, Slack is a co-founder and managing partner of Slack Davis Sanger with more than 36 years of legal experience focused on aviation law and product liability cases against major corporations.
He serves on the board of governors for the American Association for Justice. He is certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
In 2023, he received the Distinguished Aggie Lawyer Award by the Texas Aggie Bar Association. He’s also previously served as president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.