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Already a valued and highly respected member of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law community, Professor Blake Reid ’10 will be transitioning from his role as Clinical Professor and Director of the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic to Associate Professor of Law on the research faculty. Professor Reid will continue to serve as a faculty director at the Silicon Flatirons Center.  

Reid studies, teaches, and practices in the intersection of law, policy, and technology. In his new role, he will continue to teach Telecommunications Law and Policy as well as taking on Copyright and other courses in Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law’s technology and intellectual property curriculum.  

In this interview, Professor Reid sits down with Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law’s Emily Battaglia to answer a few questions about his career and transition into this new role.  

Hi Blake, thank you for joining us. To kick off our questions, could you first share a bit about any current projects you are working on? 

BR: My research broadly revolves around technology law and policy, including telecommunications, internet, and intellectual property law. Right now, my writing is focused on the Supreme Court’s interventions into laws regulating social media and search platforms and their intersections with the First Amendment and the Communications Act. I’m also particularly focused on the intersection of technology law and policy with disability law, which involves issues such as the accessibility of communications platforms. 

Interesting! I would also love to hear more about your current role here at the law school –could you talk about your work as faculty director at the Silicon Flatirons Center? 

BR: For the last two decades, Silicon Flatirons has served as a home for convening academic ideas, law and policy professionals, and Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ students. As a faculty director, I’m focused on cultivating interesting conversations around emerging telecom, internet law, and intellectual property issues that give our students a chance to engage with leaders in the field. 

What will you miss most about your role as Clinical Professor and Director of the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic?ÌýÌýÌý

BR: I will miss the chance to watch up close as the Clinic's amazing student attorneys shape their interests and skills into unique and impactful careers as they help the Clinic’s clients, some of whom we have worked with for a decade or more. But I’m also excited that I’ll be able to support Vivek Krishnamurthy’s leadership of the Clinic and its students in my new role, just as my colleagues on Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law’s tech and IP faculty have for me over the past decade. 

I noticed you have a bachelor's degree in computer science --how has that background informed your work throughout your career?  

BR: The most important thing I learned as a computer scientist was not being afraid to engage with technology and to learn from people who develop and use it. Working in technology law and policy doesn’t necessarily require deep technology expertise, but it does take a sense of curiosity and developing the ability to have intelligent conversations with technologists and users so that you can serve as a translation layer between them and policymakers. Helping facilitate interdisciplinary work that reflects a joint understanding of technology and law/policy from experts in both fields is a role I’ve always tried to play and something I’ve always encouraged my students to lean into. 

We are so excited to have you continue with us here at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law in your new role. What do you enjoy most about working for your alma mater?  

BR: One of the best things about working here is having personally experienced our students’ collaborative and collegial relationships with each other, something that Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law students have paid forward for many generations. Law school can be a challenging experience, and having classmates who are there for you—whether it’s sharing notes from a class you missed, studying together, passing along job opportunities, or just generally being supportive and celebrating your successes—is a special part of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law’s culture. I also know how Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Law's supportive faculty members can open important doors for students as their careers advance. As a faculty member and alum, my experience as a student always reminds me to be on the lookout for ways to support and celebrate our students and their commitment to each other.