September 28, 2011

Annual Cooley Law Review Symposium Uncovers Lack of Legal Framework for Data Mining

Monique Howery, Symposium Editor for the Law Review, said, "The Law Review chooses topics that are current and of interest to both students and practitioners. Data mining as a topic was particularly timely and relevant given the global trend of social media and the impact this trend has had on consumers and companies."

After learning about the prevalence and breadth of data sharing and data mining in contemporary society, both the experts and participants concluded that the law is simply behind. The panel encouraged the attendees to consider the appropriate legal responses to what Andreas Weigend called the "Social Data Revolution."

The news about the state of the data industry was disconcerting to many participants.
"It was scary to hear about how much data we share about ourselves every day and how little privacy protection the law truly affords," noted Cooley Law School Assistant Professor Derek Witte, who moderated the panel. "At the same time, we learned that, in the right hands, this social data revolution could be used to build a better future for everyone.  For lawyers and regulators, the work is really just beginning on this issue."

The panel of experts consisted of Chris Clifton, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Purdue University; Jason Shinn, an Internet attorney who works with businesses; Dick De Veaux, an expert in applied statistics, author, and member of the faculty at Williams College in Massachusetts; and Andreas S. Weigend, a behavioral marketing expert who teaches Data Mining and E-Business at Stanford University in California, and The Digital Networked Economy at Tsinghua in Beijing, China. Weigend delivered his presentation and participated in the panel discussion through Skype.

Howery commented, "We made a great choice in our selection of speakers. They were dynamic and entertaining, and helped make the topic meaningful and useful to attendees. We are thrilled and honored that they agreed to be a part of our event. And we couldn't have asked for a better moderator. Professor Witte's insight and ability to focus the discussion was invaluable."

Front row (from left to right): Cooley Law School Assistant Professor Derek Witte, Williams College faculty member Dick De Veaux, Internet lawyer Jason Shinn, and Purdue University Assistant Professor Chris Clifton. Fellow panelist Andreas S. Weigend participated via Skype.

High-Res 300dpi Image © Thomas M. Cooley Law School 2011 Behavioral Marketing Expert Andreas S. Weigend participated in the Law Review Symposium via Skype. High-Res 300dpi Image © Thomas M. Cooley Law School 2011

About the Thomas M. Cooley Law School:
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation.  Founded in 1972, the private, nonprofit law school operates its Juris Doctor program, Joint Degree programs, and Master of Laws programs across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. Cooley recently announced a new Tampa Bay, Florida-area campus, with courses beginning in May 2012.  Cooley has more than 15,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and offers enrollment three times a year in January, May and September. Cooley is an independent law school, accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission. Additional information can be found at cooley.edu.