Democracy, Technology, and Security Speaker Series

This fall, UC Law SF students will have an opportunity to learn from professionals in the fields of national security law, cybersecurity, privacy law, and social media regulation, who will discuss and debate the many ways in which digital technology, cloud computing, and national security matters intersect.

Organized by Professor Chimène Keitner, the colloquium will feature speakers such as Susan Benesch, founder and director of the Dangerous Speech Project; Robert Chesney, the James Baker Chair in Law at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin School of Law; Matt Tait, senior cybersecurity fellow at the Robert S. Strauss Center at UT Austin; and Jason Pielemeier, policy director at the Global Network Initiative.

Keitner, who recently served as counselor on international law at the U.S. Department of State and worked on cyberlaw issues as the inaugural scholar in residence at Orrick in Silicon Valley, has extensive experience working in both the center of government and policy in Washington, D.C., and the hub of tech innovation in UC Law SF’ own backyard. Now back in San Francisco, she sees the new colloquium as a way to continue serving as a translator between these sectors. “One of the things I find most gratifying is creating opportunities for in-depth conversations that bridge theory and practice,” Keitner said.

Those topics will include foreign interference in elections, cross-border regulation of social media, and privacy rights. “These are pressing issues that tech companies are grappling with as they run global operations,” Keitner said.

Ever mindful of its location in the heart of the global tech industry, UC Law SF quickly lent its support to the program, which will also involve companion public events at the World Affairs Council. By providing students with the opportunity to engage in substantive conversations on timely matters with a diverse group of experts, Keitner hopes the colloquium will be one of the more memorable experiences of her students’ law school years.

“It’s exciting to engage in discussions about how we can best leverage the tremendous opportunities for interconnectedness that the internet provides,” Keitner said, “while at the same time not being naive about the dangers new technologies can pose.”

This series is made possible in part by the UC Law SF Marvin Anderson Fund.