About Cyberlaw

Cyberlaw examines the effect of the Internet on the law, and of the law on the internet. In one sense, Cyberlaw provides a petri dish to examine how technology interacts with and impacts the entire law. In a richer sense, Cyberlaw shows how intermediated network technologies can disrupt existing forms of power—laws, markets, and social norms—in unexpected ways, creating new centers of norms and power. In that sense, Cyberlaw is a study of how technology brings chaos as well as unexpected order. Whether the chaos and order is good will be a central and recurring question. Topics covered will vary depending on current developments in law and technology and one can expect the class to regularly confront ongoing events. Topics in any semester may include: online jurisdiction; cyber-speech; trolling and bullying; privacy and anonymity; defamation; online intellectual property disputes; service provider liability; social networks; cybersecurity, cyberwar, and cybercrime; and network neutrality. 

This course qualifies for skills credits. There is no curve. Grading will be based on class participation and a number of experiential projects. These projects are designed to integrate your understanding of cyberlaw law, theory, practice, and professional values. This course also counts as a course towards the St. Thomas Law Intellectual Property Law certificate program.