Why I Blog
[A friend teaches composition at a community college. She will point her students to various examples of writing, including my blog. I sent her this statement to share with her students:] You asked me: why do I write? As a…
A Tribute to Prof. Don Polden (1948-2024)
I’m saddened by the death of my colleague, friend, and former supervisor, Prof. Donald (Don) Polden. Don was the dean that hired me as a tenure-track faculty at Santa Clara Law in 2006. I had been an adjunct instructor at…
Should Tenure Candidates Whitelist or Blocklist External Reviewers?
I was recently asked by a pre-tenure IP colleague if they should enumerate any external reviewers on a whitelist or blocklist of reviewers when they apply for tenure. There is no single answer to this question across all academia. The…
Speaking/Travel Schedule Q2 2024
On deck for Q2. As always, happy to try to arrange a get-together if I’m in your area. April 2-4: speaking about age authentication at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit in Washington DC. Santa Clara Law is hosting a get-together…
In Memoriam: Prof. Dan Burk
I’m devastated to report that UC Irvine Law School professor Dan Burk has died. 💔 His death comes just days before an already-scheduled event to celebrate his life, which will now become an emotionally wrenching memorial. Dan was a brilliant…
When Is the Best Time to Post a Paper Draft to SSRN?
I’ve been asked if authors should post law review article drafts to SSRN before or after a law journal accepts it. This post offers some brief thoughts about the considerations. * * * Note 1: The pre-/post-placement decision may look…
Q1 2024 Travel/Speaking Schedule
My schedule as of today: January 18-21: Eugene, Oregon (family trip) February 2-3: WIPIP at SCU February 9: Celebration of Dan Burk, UC Irvine February 23-24: Trademark Roundtable at UNLV March 2: San Diego (family trip) March 19: USC IP…
IP/Tech Experts Ed Lee and Zahr Said Are Becoming My Santa Clara Law Colleagues!
I’m thrilled that Profs. Ed Lee (currently at Chicago-Kent School of Law) and Zahr Said (currently at the University of Washington Law School) are joining the Santa Clara University School of Law faculty in Fall. As I said in the…
A Tribute to UC Berkeley Law Professor Pamela Samuelson
[These remarks are inspired by the Pamfest, a/k/a the “Symposium Celebrating Pamela Samuelson,” held at UC Berkeley on November 3. I was honored to attend alongside dozens of the world’s leading experts in copyrights (and other topics). We were all…
Some Personal Good News: I Received a University-Wide Award for Curriculum Innovation
My colleague Dean Laura Norris and I recently received a university-wide award, the 2023 Brutocao Family Foundation Award for Curriculum Innovation. Video of the presentation (click on our names). This appears to be the first time that law faculty have…