GW Law is excited to launch its new Center for Law and Technology, which encompasses two vital areas of academic focus: Intellectual Property (IP) Law and Privacy and Technology (PT) Law.
The IP program at GW Law has a storied history dating back more than a century and consistently ranks among the top law school IP programs in the country.
In 2023, GW Law introduced the PT program to delve into the legal and sociocultural implications of privacy, data security, AI and digital technologies. Members of the GW Law School have been at the forefront of PT issues for decades, and this program reinforces their commitment to these key topics. In addition, GW Law recently added three new full-time faculty members in PT Law. Mary Ann Franks (platform management, CDA section 230, online harassment); Alicia Solow-Niederman (Artificial Intelligence, Disruptive Technologies, Privacy); and Jonathan Cedarbaum (cybersecurity).
Management, teachers and mission of the Center
The Center’s directors—Professor Robert Browneis, Professor Daniel Solov, and Associate Dean John Whelan—bring their extensive experience in intellectual property, privacy, and technology law to the leadership of this new project. They are joined by an outstanding list of affiliated faculty, including Michael Abramovich, Arturo Carrillo, Jonathan Cedarbaum, Lolita Darden, Laura Dickinson, Mary Ann Franks, Aram Gavor, Scott Keefe, Heidi Liu, Alicia Solow-Niderman, Dawn Nunziato, Spencer Overton, Sarah Polch, Lisa Schenck, Sonja Suter and Kate Weisberd.
The Center has also been able to assemble an impressive adjunct faculty, drawing from a unique community of legal talent in the nation’s capital, including several current and former government officials.
The new Center for Law and Technology serves as a center for thought leadership, facilitating interdisciplinary scholarship, fostering international discourse, and creating connections between academics and practitioners. In addition to offering multiple courses and concentrations, the IP and PT programs provide scholarship opportunities, publications, events, and valuable career resources.
“The GW Law and Technology Center puts GW Law at the forefront of these important areas of law.”
Daniel Justin Solov
Eugene L. and Barbara A. Bernard Professor of Intellectual Property and Technology Law
“The GW Law and Technology Center puts GW Law at the forefront of these important areas of the law,” stated Solove. “We’ve long had one of the best IP programs, and now we’re building on privacy and technology. We’ve hired several new faculty, added many courses, and are working on a long list of other great additions to our new center. Our goal is for students to have an unparalleled educational experience here – a broad and in-depth curriculum, events, scholarships, internships, fellowships and other opportunities.”
“GW Law has been a leader in intellectual property and technology law since 1895,” said Dean Dana Bowen Mathew, the Harold H. Greene Professor of Law. “We are consistently ranked in the top five of all 200 law schools offering intellectual property and technology courses. We will now expand this expertise to include privacy laws and technology with a powerful faculty. No place in the country will be able to rival our depth of expertise.”
Brauneis added, “Intellectual property is an area that has always focused on new technologies, whether those advances are improvements to the prior art or new methods of fixing and distributing copyrighted works. Intellectual property law now faces a whole new set of challenges from artificial intelligence and ubiquitous information gathering and networking. The GW Center for Law and Technology was created to address these challenges head-on, and I am excited to work with my colleagues here at GW Law to do just that.”
“The GW Center for Law and Technology was created to address these challenges head-on, and I am excited to work with my colleagues here at GW Law to do just that.”
Robert Braunice
Michael J. McKeon, Professor of Intellectual Property Law; Co-Director of the Intellectual Property Law Program; Co-Director of the Intellectual Property Research Center Dean Dinwoodey; Member, Board of Directors, Munich Legal Center for Intellectual Property
Great student benefits
For those looking to begin careers in these fields, the IP and PT programs offer internships, clerkships, and job opportunities to their students. Students can enter moot court competitions, such as the Rothwell IP Law Moot Court Competition and the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition in Trademarks and Unfair Competition. There are also career fairs and networking events like the IP Networking Fair.
The Center for Law and Technology is dedicated to preparing students for careers in the ever-evolving fields of intellectual property law and PT. The new PT program recently launched a JD Concentration in Privacy, Data Security, and Technology Law. Students who take up to 12 credits in related courses and internships, as well as write a report on related issues, will receive a special designation on their transcript.
Job opportunities in privacy, cybersecurity, and technology law have grown tremendously and are now abundant. Essentially every major general practice law firm in the country now has a separate practice group in this area. In addition, many of the IP firms are similarly adding such a group, and there are several prominent boutique law firms specializing in this area of law. Most large companies have teams of privacy, cybersecurity and technology lawyers, and large tech companies have several hundred.
Student interest in privacy, technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence is growing dramatically. Professor Solov notes that he has only taught one privacy class per academic year with about 40-50 students. Last year he taught two privacy law classes to a total of 150 students. He now teaches three classes a year related to privacy laws. “The JD concentration will make our students stand out,” says Professor Solow. “They will have in-depth knowledge of some very complex areas of the law and can start work wherever they go to work.”
A rare, in-depth and comprehensive education in intellectual property, privacy and technology law
GW Law has long been a pioneer in intellectual property law, with one of the first programs, and continues to have a rich curriculum in every corner of the field. With the new center, GW Law is building on its extensive IP program to add a PT program. Only a handful of law schools have such centers, and most law schools do not have faculty who focus on privacy and technology issues, or even a course in privacy law. In contrast, the Center has several privacy and technology faculties and offers a wide selection of courses.
The Center for Law and Technology hopes to foster a robust community by providing students with an excellent education in intellectual property, privacy and technology law, as well as extensive career support and leadership opportunities.
GW Center for Law and Technology faculty include:
