The Certificate in Information Privacy Law is designed to prepare students for careers in the fast-growing fields of information privacy and cybersecurity law.

The program is open to current J.D. students and consists of four components:

  • Experiential Learning:  Students complete the experiential learning component by completing a privacy-related externship, internship, or working at a pre-approved job focused on privacy issues. Maine Law also has the Center for Law + Innovation Privacy Law Fellow Program offered in partnership with the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Students in the Fellows Program are guaranteed an internship at the IAPP between the summer of their first and second year of law school.
  • Course Work: Students must complete 18 credits of privacy-related coursework, including Information Privacy Law (3 credits) and the Summer Information Privacy Institute (6 credits). Students then select among approved elective courses to complete the 18 credits required.
  • Research and Writing: Students satisfy the writing requirement by publishing a paper on a privacy-related topic in a publication read by privacy professionals.
  • Certification from the IAPP: Students must pass the IAPP’s exam to receive the CIPP, CIPM, or CIPT.

Faculty and experts involved in the Certificate include Program Director Scott Bloomberg, Peter Guffin, Christine Davik, Deborah Johnson, and Rita Heimes.

Photo of Scott Bloomberg

Scott Bloomberg

Director of the Information Privacy Law Certificate Program
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Privacy law, cannabis law, First Amendment Free Speech Clause

Deborah Johnson

Associate Professor of Law
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Cybersecurity insurance law


Trevor Hughes

Adjunct Professor, President & CEO of IAPP, Maine Law Class of ’95
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Leading international privacy law expert, history of privacy law

Headshot of Rita Heimes

Rita Heimes

Director of the Information Privacy Summer Institute
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Private sector cybersecurity, intellectual property law, patent law

Headshot of Peter Guffin

Peter Guffin

Professor of Practice
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Data security, transparency & privacy of court records,


Christine Davik

Professor of Law
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Intellectual property law, internet law, international intellectual property law


Adam Barea

Adjunct professor, YouTube Legal Director
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Litigation and risk mitigation as it pertains to third-party content

Learning Outcomes: 

Students who complete the Information Privacy Law Certificate will:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of laws and policies related to information privacy law. Such laws and policies include U.S. state, U.S. federal, and international laws and regulations. 
  • Acquire the practical skills and knowledge needed to counsel clients through legal and ethical issues that arise when organizations collect, store, process, or share personal information.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the different legal approaches to protecting information privacy and be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of such legal regimes.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and draft a substantial written work in the area of information privacy law.