On May 31, 2024 Maine Law hosted its annual Privacy in Practice Conference, attended by students, academics, and professionals active in areas of privacy law.
Maine Law has one of the oldest privacy law programs in the country and is one of only a handful of schools offering a Certificate Program in Information Privacy Law. In 2019, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) designated Maine Law as a Tier One school in the area of privacy law.
This annual conference recognizes Maine Law’s position as a leader in the field while offering the opportunity for privacy professionals to network and learn about advancements and changes.
“This conference is a unique coming together of Maine Law students, alumni, and internationally recognized experts in privacy law. Some of those experts are also—not coincidentally—alumni,” Scott Bloomberg, Director of the Information Privacy Law Certificate Program and Associate Professor. He co-organized the conference with IAPP General Counsel and Data Protection Office and Maine Law Adjunct Professor Rita Heimes.
Some of those alumni included Trevor Hughes, President and CEO of IAPP and a global expert on privacy law, and Justin Weiss, Associate General Counsel with global consumer internet group Naspers Limited. Both spoke at the event about their areas of expertise along with other Maine Law alumni including Laura O’Hanlon, Emily Cramer, Al Raymond, and Matt Stein.
Panel topics throughout the day included regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), privacy and cybersecurity concerns during governmental investigation, AI and leadership, executive communication and stakeholder management, digital threats, transitioning from outside counsel or vice versa.
“This year’s conference tackled complex and cutting-edge legal issues at a level fit for the most seasoned practitioners. Students not only kept up but contributed to the conversation with insightful questions and comments,” Heimes reflected.
One of those students, rising 3L Aysha Vear, said she was excited by the energy in the room and the opportunity to network with so many professionals in her field.
“To be in the same room as some of the brightest minds in this field was both informative and inspiring,” Vear added. “Maine Law’s reputation in privacy is something I’m very proud of as a student and I’m very thankful to the alumni and professionals who invest in this program through their time and expertise at events like the Privacy in Practice Conference.”
Another rising 3L in attendance, Holly Fain, said while she’s not currently considering a privacy law track, the conference presented an unparalleled opportunity to broaden her justice-centered legal horizons.
“I am about to be in the Youth Justice Clinic this fall and Rural Practice Clinic next Spring and want to feel more rounded in how social justice can be at the center of privacy law as part of my professional toolkit,” she explained.
Privacy and cybersecurity regulations and law are one of the fastest moving legal sectors. Just this year, 14 U.S. states adopted new data protection laws, which will begin to take effect over the next couple of years. AI technology and our relationship to it shifts almost daily as its implementations and implications become clearer. Governments around the world are increasingly recognizing the importance of data, as are companies as data breach headlines become a weekly occurrence.
It’s conferences like these and programs like Maine Law’s Information Privacy Institute that help students, alumni, and professionals become and remain leaders in this field.
