Matija Renčelj, LL.M. is a lawyer working for the European Space Policy Institute in Vienna as a Resident Fellow.
He joined ESPI in 2021 following roles at the European Space Agency, the European Commission, and several legal positions in the private sector (Schoenherr Attorneys at Law, Star Alliance Services GmbH).
He holds a university degree in law from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and an LL.M. in Air and Space Law from McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Law (Canada) where he also earned the Setsuko Ushioda-Aoki Prize.
He also held several pro-bono roles, i.a., advising the Slovenian Ministry of Economic Development and Technology in drafting the first national law on space activities; grading written memorials for the European Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court competition; coordinating legal affairs for a Slovenian launch vehicle startup and co-organizing the first-ever Montreal Space Symposium.
He has presented papers in several conferences, including the IISL Colloquia at the International Astronautical Congress. He is a member of the European Centre for Space Law and the Slovenian branch of the International Law Association.
