My Background

Elsbeth Magilton is the Director of Externships and a Lecturer at the University of Nebraska College of Law. From 2012-2024 Elsbeth served as the Executive Director of the Space, Cyber, and National Security Law Program, and she continues to teach U.S. Space Law and Policy and publish on space and security issues. Elsbeth was a 2023-2024 Scowcroft National Security Fellow at the Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense in the U.S. Air Force Academy. She is a member of the International Institute of Space Law, the American Bar Association Air and Space Forum, and the American Society of International Law, where she served as the co-chair (2020-2021) for the Space Law Interest Group.

Magilton is an accomplished public speaker and speaking coach. She was a 2023 TEDx speaker and her talk has received over 20,000 views on YouTube. She has keynoted multiple conferences, spoke at SXSW in 2021, and speaks internationally on space topics and education. She developed and teaches Nebraska Law’s ‘Public Speaking for Attorneys’ course, sharing her passion for public speaking and the use of storytelling for impactful advocacy.

Elsbeth’s teaching approach focuses on practical and experiential legal education. In September 2022 she was appointed to her present position as the Director of Externships at Nebraska Law following her success developing practical experiences and placements for students in the space law program. As the externship program’s inaugural Director she developed a new experiential learning curriculum for law students in field placements outside the college, and teaches the general externship courses. Elsbeth is a member of the American Association of Law Schools Externship Committee, co-chairing the Scholarship subcommittee and running a ‘virtual writers workshop’ for faculty and program directors across the country. She is also a member of the Clinical Legal Education Association and their Externship Committee. In 2025 she was awarded an Emerging Leader Award by the American Association of Law Schools Externship Committee.

Elsbeth received her B.A., cum laude, from Doane University in 2008. After starting her career in web development, Elsbeth shifted into technology policy during law school. She earned her J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law and received a concentration in Cyberlaw. During law school Elsbeth also attended the William and Mary College of Law, working with the Center for Legal and Court Technology.

Magilton is part of the U.S. State Department Speaker’s Program under the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Under that program she visited the Digital Learning Hub and Women In Digital Empowerment groups in Luxembourg, discussing experiential education and workforce development. She also facilitated a roundtable discussion for the UzSpace agency and the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent on Uzbekistan’s commercial and governmental space interests, and gave series of lectures for the New Zealand and Australian Space Council on behalf of the U.S. Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand. She is also a member of the Legal Expert Pool for the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.

Elsbeth’s other passion is her community. In 2022 Elsbeth was named a “NExt Pioneer” fellow with the Nebraska Tech Collaborative – a workforce initiative examining tech talent retention in the Midwest. She previously served (2021-2023) as the board president for Girls Code Lincoln, a nonprofit organization striving to ignite passion for technology and leadership in 4th-9th grade students, where she still volunteers. Elsbeth is also a Girl Scout volunteer and Troop Co-Leader – she has leading her scouts (including her daughter) since kindergarten in 2020. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Lincoln Fencing Club, where her son is a competitive fencer. 

In 2021 Elsbeth was nominated finalist for two Inspire Lincoln Awards in the Education and Large Business Categories. Run by the Lincoln Journal Star these community awards recognize women leaders and the impact they are making in the community. In 2024 she was again a finalist for the award in the Education category.

Personally, Elsbeth enjoys being a parent, reading, and gaming. She would almost always rather be outside walking, hiking, making art, or reading on the porch. She is married to a concert and event chef who has fed musicians and athletes around the country.

If you or your group is seeking a speaker on space law and policy, experiential education, Women in STEM, or any related topic please contact Elsbeth through the University of Nebraska College of Law.