The Berkeley Center for Law and Technology has been established in 1995 and it has become one of the most reputable institutions that focusses on the issues that arise at the intersection of law and technology. When it was first established, the BCLT was the first institute of its kind, and two and a half decades later, it continues to inspire and innovate. 

BCLT has always been focused on the legal challenges that transpire in the IT world. Since technology has been advancing at such a high speed, the Berkeley center has had to keep up with all the frequent changes, and adapt its areas of focus accordingly. Nowadays, it encompasses the full range of technological law, with a focus on a few key areas: 

- Intellectual property

- Privacy and cybersecurity

- Digital entertainment

- International development of technology law

The Speaker Series provides a forum where academics, policy makers, practitioners, technology experts and entrepreneurs can exchange ideas and work together to better understand the constantly changing laws in the IT world. Intellectual Property continues to be the main point of interest. The topic was once brilliantly approached by Jason Rabbitt-Tomita, a successful lawyer from White & Case who made an excellent presentation on the dangers and challenges of IP lawyers becoming corporate lawyers. Although two years have passed since that event, the topic continues to be of interest at current BCLT events.

When two top law institutions come together to organize an event, you can expect to be amazed. Indeed, the annual APLI brings together academics, judges, patent prosecutors, litigators, and IP counsellors from major corporations to discuss the latest changes in patent law. 

This lecture is already at its tenth event, and it continues to surprise with each passing year. In 2017, the focus has been on open data, trust and stewardship. The presentation focused on two classing trends: academic researchers giving open access to their data to different grant and publications, and universities who seek to accumulate all relevant data about local community activities. 

The Annual BCLT/BTLJ Symposium

This is by far one of the most important BCLT events. Last year, the symposium focused on discussing the proper legal models that should support online platforms, with focus on the responsibilities that online platforms should face, and the proper mix of government and corporate policies that should support human rights and social values, as well as competition and innovation. 

In 2018, we are looking forward to the Privacy Law Forum which promises to elucidate some of the challenges of coping with evolving litigation as well as enforcement and counseling demands. As always, the event will provide a unique opportunity to engage with esteemed members of the Berkeley faculty and leading practitioners in the field of privacy and data security.

These are just some of the many events that are organized each year by BCLT, with the purpose of bringing together the most brilliant minds in technology law, to help shape the minds of future technology lawyers.