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Joseph F. Rice School of Law

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TechInLaw Symposium

Second Annual TechInLaw Symposium

Friday, January 10, 2025
Karen J. Williams Courtroom
USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Online via Zoom Webinar
Register Here
Approved for Six SC CLE Credits, Including Two for Ethics
Sponsored by the Richland County Bar Association

Symposium Archive


Schedule

Time Details
8:00 AM
Registration / Check In
  • First Floor Perrin Lobby.
  • Breakfast – First Floor Perrin Family Space
8:30 AM
Introduction and Welcome Address - “The Importance of Technology in the Courtroom”
  • Gary Moore,  Assistant Dean for Academic Technology and Executive Director, TechInLaw, USC Rice School of Law
  • The Honorable Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., Senior U.S. District Judge, U.S. District Court 
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
"Beyond Sci-Fi: Real-World Impacts of Emerging Technologies on Law and National Security” Panel


  • Moderator – Rebecca Kelley, President of National Security Law Society, Class of 2025, USC Rice School of Law
  • Jack Pringle, Partner, Nelson Mullins
  • John Browning, Distinguished Jurist in Residence, Faulkner University School of Law, and Chair of the State Bar of Texas Taskforce on AI and the Law (Via Zoom)
  • Megan Stifel, Institute for Security and Technology (Via Zoom)
  • Dr. Homayoun Valafar, Professor, Chair, Computer Science & Engineering and Director of the AI Institute at USC
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
 "Leveraging Technology to Improve Access to Justice" Panel
  • Moderator – Elizabeth Chambliss, Henry Harmen Edens Professor of Law, USC Rice School of Law
  • Karama Harrington, Director of Court Services, South Carolina Judicial Branch
  • Jacqueline Schafer – Founder, CEO, Clearbrief (Via Zoom)
  • Hannah Honeycutt, Executive Director, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission
  • James Sandman, Distinguished Lecturer and Senior Consultant to the Future of the Profession Initiative at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (Via Zoom)
11:45 PM - 12:45 PM
Lunch
  • Attendees - Lunch on your own
  • Panelists/Speakers/Moderators – Lunch Faculty Conference Room (Room 301)
12:45 PM - 1:15 PM
Keynote Address – “The Shifting Sands of Law and Tech”
  • Graham Newman, Partner, Chappell, Chappell and Newman
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM - "Intellectual Property and AI – The Challenges Facing Attorneys in Respect to Patents, Copyright, Trademark and Trade Secrets" Panel

  • Moderator – Ned Snow, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, USC Rice School of Law
  • Jessica Harrison, Counsel, Stern Kessler Goldstein and Fox
  • Doug Kim, Founder and Attorney, Kim, Lahey and Killough
  • Ann McCrackin, Founder, AI Enabled Attorney
  • Todd Serbin, Of Counsel, Maynard Nexsen
2:55 PM – 4:15 PM -  "AI and Law Firms – The AI Tools in Usage and the AI Skills Lawyers Need to Meet Client Needs" Panel
  • Moderator – Anthony D’Elia, Chief Privacy Officer, State of South Carolina
  • Patrick Cleary, Partner, Bowman and Brooke
  • Daniel Hickton,  Founder, Counsel 1337
  • Colin Levy, Lawyer and Legal Technologist , Director of Legal and Evangelist, Malbek (Via Zoom)
  • Dave Maxfield, Esq.
  • Ann McCrackin, Founder, AI Enabled Attorney
4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
Closing Remarks
  • TBA

Faculty Bios

Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr.

The Honorable Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Judge Anderson was born in Augusta, Georgia. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Clemson University in 1972, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1975. He was a law clerk for Judge Clement Haynsworth of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1975 to 1976. He was in private practice in Edgefield from 1976 to 1986. He was a Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1980 to 1986. Additionally, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1972 to 1978.

Judge Anderson was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on September 26, 1986, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina vacated by Judge Charles Earl Simons Jr. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 8, 1986, and received his commission on October 14, 1986. Anderson was the youngest federal judge in South Carolina history at the time of his appointment. He served as Chief Judge from 2000 to 2007. He assumed senior status on November 16, 2014.

John Browning

Browning serves as Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law and Chair of the State Bar of Texas Taskforce on AI and the Law.  He teaches torts, professional responsibility, “Social Media, Emerging Technologies, and the Law,” as well as other courses.  In his Spring 2022 seminar “Social Media, Emerging Technologies, and the Law”, his five seminar students each wrote a 3–5-page article for publication in national or regional legal publications.

John is also a partner at Spencer Fane, and also serves as Chair of the Institute for Law & Technology at the Center for American and International Law. He is the author of multiple books on law and technology, as well as more than 50 law review articles.  A nationally recognized thought leader on law and technology, Justice Browning formerly served on Texas’ Fifth Court of Appeals before returning to private practice and legal academia. His work has been cited by state and federal courts around the country. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and the University of Texas School of Law.

John has done significant research in AI, specifically as it relates to ethics, as well as racial bias. He authored an article “Please See the HR Robot on Your Way Out: Artificial Intelligence and Its Effect on Employment Law” in  For The Defense, a magazine of the Defense Research Institute, The article addresses the ethical concerns that the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace raise for employment lawyers.   In March 2022, John wrote “Real World Ethics in an Artificial Intelligence World” for the Northern Kentucky Law Review (49 N. KY. L. REV. 155 (2022))

Browning was announced as the recipient of the Maurice Merrill Golden Quill Award at the Oklahoma Bar Association’s General Assembly on November 12, 2021. This annual award is named after Professor Maurice Merrill, an accomplished legal scholar and long-serving professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.  The OBA gives this award to “the author of the best-written article published this year in the Oklahoma Bar Journal.” His award-winning article “Blazing the Trail: Oklahoma Pioneer African American Attorneys” was featured in the May 2021 issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal.

In July 2022, John was honored with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Silver Gavel Award for Media and the Arts, which recognizes outstanding work that fosters the public’s understanding of law and the legal system. It is the ABA’s highest honor in recognition of this purpose.  John was honored for his role in conceiving of, curating, and writing much of the content for the Oklahoma Bar Journal’s May 2021 special issue devoted to Black legal history in Oklahoma.

Professor Elizabeth Chambliss

Elizabeth Chambliss studies the organization and regulation of the legal profession and the effects of globalization and information technology on the U.S. legal services market. Her early research focused on the management and regulation of large law firms, with a particular focus on the professionalization of law firm general counsel. She also has written about the challenges facing U.S. legal education and continues to be active in debates about legal education reform. Her current research focuses on new models for civil legal services delivery, and the development of legal and methodological standards for evidence-based lawyer regulation.

Professor Chambliss is a member of the American Law Institute and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She serves on the South Carolina Access to Justice Commission and the Editorial Advisory Board of Law & Society Review. She received her B.S. from the College of Charleston and her J.D. and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of South Carolina, she served as the Research Director for the Program on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School and taught for ten years at New York Law School.

An ambitious attorney, Patrick Cleary defends major automotive and device manufacturers against product liability cases in both state and federal court in South Carolina, North Carolina and across the country. Patrick has defended major automotive manufacturers, tier one component suppliers, ATV manufacturers, and others against claims of unintended acceleration, airbag defect, cases and asbestos litigation. 

With a degree in chemical engineering, Patrick particularly enjoys delving into emerging technologies and developing mastery for how a product is designed and operates. His most recent focus has been on the developing technologies and regulations surrounding autonomous vehicles. He translates this knowledge into persuasive and understandable information which he uses to advise and defend his clients.

Patrick’s experience includes representing clients in first-of-its-kind trials involving advanced vehicle technologies, developing creative solutions for mass tort resolution, and defending clients in state Attorneys General consumer protection actions. 

In addition to his practice, Patrick stays active in the legal profession and community.  He has been an active member of several South Carolina Bar Committees, including the Judicial Qualifications Committee. Patrick volunteers with the South Carolina Bar’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, providing pro bono tax assistance to the community. He serves on the Foundation Board for the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics.  He has also served as the Chair of the Leadership Columbia Advisory Board and President of Historic Columbia’s Palladium young professionals group.

Jessica Harrison is counsel in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group. Jessica brings over three decades of patent practice experience and broad technical aptitude to her clients after spending 25 years at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), many as a Supervisor including in the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU), and nearly a decade in private practice, most recently as a firm co-founder. Jessica currently serves as an adjunct faculty professor at University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law where she teaches Patent Practice and Procedures courses and a Video Gaming and IP course.

Prior to attending law school, Jessica served 25 years at the USPTO. She started as an associate and primary Examiner examining patent applications in a variety of electrical and computer arts including electronic games and amusement devices, electronic education devices, computer based training systems, electrical exercising devices, and electrical medical instrumentation including cardiac pacing devices, catheters, and endoscopic devices. Later, Jessica served in a wide variety of USPTO management roles: a Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) and a Special Programs Examiner (SPRE) in Technology Center 3700 and an SPE in the CRU. In these roles, Jessica gained both legal and subject-matter expert status in multiple areas of technology and multiple complex legal issues including petitions, reissue applications, reexamination proceedings and interference proceedings.

Jessica received her law degree from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law where she received a Certificate in Intellectual Property and was named Franklin Pierce Intellectual Property Scholar. Jessica received a Masters and Bachelor degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of South Carolina, where her Master’s Thesis was titled “Measurement of Field Effect Transistor Parameters for SPICE Simulations.”

Jessica is an active member of the Pauline Newman IP American Inn of Court where she recently served as Inn Liaison Chair to the Linn Inn Alliance of the American Inns of Court.

Daniel Hickton

Daniel Hickton is an accomplished attorney with a background in cyber technology and law, focusing on artificial intelligence, robotics innovation, and non-profit law. Daniel runs a solo practice out of Pittsburgh, PA with primary practice areas in entrepreneurship and community development as well as secondary experiences in criminal defense, family law and civil litigation. With a deep understanding of the intersection between cutting-edge technology and legal frameworks, Daniel has advised numerous inventors on navigating the complexities of law and technology in the innovation sector. At the forefront of AI's integration into the legal sector, Daniel is passionate about leveraging innovative solutions to enhance access to justice and to assist in the development of new technologies.   

Dean William Hubbard

William C. Hubbard served as president of the American Bar Association in 2014–2015. As president, he led efforts to increase access to justice through innovation, reform the criminal justice system, provide legal assistance to unaccompanied immigrant children, improve support for victims of domestic violence, and strengthen the rule of law globally. He previously served a two-year term as chair of the ABA’s House of Delegates. Hubbard is a past president of the American Bar Foundation and a past president of the American Bar Endowment. From 2019–2020, he served as chair of the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, which reports to the DOJ and the U.S. Senate on the qualifications of federal judicial nominees.

Hubbard is co-founder and chair of the Board of the World Justice Project, a multinational, multidisciplinary initiative to strengthen the rule of law worldwide. 

In 2023, Hubbard was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Council of the American Law Institute (emeritus), as well as the Leaders Council of the Legal Services Corporation. He is an Honorary Master of the Bench of Middle Temple in London.

In 2002, Hubbard was presented the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian award presented by a South Carolina governor. In 2007, he received the American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. In 2016, the Burton Foundation, in collaboration with the Library of Congress, named Hubbard the recipient of its inaugural “Leadership in Law” award.

Hubbard served on the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina from 1986–2020 and served as chairman of the board from 1996–2000. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1977 and a Bachelor of Arts in History, magna cum laude, from the University of South Carolina in 1974. As an undergraduate, Hubbard received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the university’s highest student award. In 2009, he received the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2010, the university awarded him its highest recognition, the Honorary Doctor of Laws.

After law school, Hubbard was law clerk to U.S. District Judge Robert F. Chapman. He is a former partner with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in Columbia, SC.

Rebecca Kelley

Rebecca Kelley is a third-year law student at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. A native South Carolinian, Rebecca grew up in the Pee Dee, attended college in the Upstate, lived in the Lowcountry for several years, and now calls the Midlands home.

Before attending law school, Rebecca performed professionally in regional theatres along the East Coast—from Maine down to Florida. She also received her MBA during that time, focusing her studies on arts administration. These experiences allowed her to hone her skills in delivering material effectively and connecting with an audience—abilities that would ultimately transfer to the courtroom.

Since starting law school, Rebecca has been involved with several student organizations, currently serving as president of the National Security Law Society. She has been very active with the Mock Trial Bar, representing the law school in Puerto Rico, Virginia, Texas, New York, and Georgia. Rebecca is a two-time recipient of the Floyd Spangler Best Advocate Award, Robert McCormick Figg, Jr. Award, D. Reece Williams III Trial Advocacy Award, and Judge J. Lyles Glenn & Terrell L. Glenn, Sr. Mock Trial Competition Award. Last year, after winning the NTC Regional Championship, she received the Barney O. Smith National Trial Competition Award and the Honorable Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Medallion. This semester, Rebecca won Outstanding Advocate at the First Chair Trial Competition before bringing home the championship trophy and Best Overall Advocate award from the William W. Daniel National Invitational Mock Trial Competition.

During her first summer, Rebecca worked as a law clerk for both the Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the State Grand Jury Division of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. She also participated in the Judicial Observation Experience program with Richland County Probate Court. While in her second year, Rebecca worked as a criminal law tutor and research assistant for Professor Seth Stoughton and externed for the Honorable Sherri A. Lydon in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina before working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina over the summer. Currently finishing up her third year of law school, Rebecca is working with the District Attorney’s Office for the Augusta Judicial Circuit under the Student Practice Act. She plans to begin her practice as an Assistant District Attorney after law school.

Doug Kim, a Physics major from Davidson College, began his professional career as a computer programmer and software engineer. His intellectual property career began in 1998 when he combined his business experience with his legal education and was involved with enforcing a client’s patent against multiple infringers. Since then, Doug has created a well-rounded IP practice that provides legal solutions and strategies tailored to each client from multinational corporations to start-ups.

Doug provides his client with strategies to protect inventions (patents), brands (trademarks), websites, software, apps, music, photos, and websites (copyright, licenses, and Internet law), and trade secret (the “secret sauce”). Through the creation of intellectual property rights and their enforcement, Doug seeks to develop legal strategies that fit clients’ business goals and increase the company’s worth. Doug also assists clients with drafting, negotiating, and reviewing license, assignment, independent contractor, and employment agreements as they pertain to intellectual property and ownership. Doug’s business background and legal education and experience make him well suited to understand the interaction between the legal services available to a client, a company’s available resources, and the client’s business goals.

Colin S. Levy is a lawyer, author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem, and a prolific writer and speaker. Throughout his career, Colin has seen technology as a key driver in improving how legal services are performed. Because his career has spanned industries, he witnessed a myriad of issues from lack of due diligence and systems to underutilized technologies, to generalized fear or overwhelm around technology. Colin's mission is to bridge the gap between the tech world and the legal world by being a guide to the world of legal tech and advocating for the ways technology should be another set of tools in the lawyer's toolbelt.

Dave Maxfield

For nearly  25 years, Dave Maxfield has represented individual consumers in cases against banks, credit reporting agencies, debt collectors and insurance companies. He has obtained one of the highest punitive damage verdicts in America against a creditor in a credit reporting case, and  secured numerous significant recoveries on behalf of consumers in individual cases.

Dave is the three-time Chairman of the Consumer Law section of the South Carolina Bar and a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA), the nation’s preeminent organization for lawyers representing consumers.

He is Past President of the Richland County Bar Association, the largest county bar association in South Carolina with over 1900 members.

In addition to teaching as an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, Dave has  taught more than 100  Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs to other lawyers, and speaks regularly in the media  on issues affecting consumers. In addition to speaking on consumer law issues, he frequently trains other lawyers on the use of technology, speaking  at the American Bar Association’s National Techshow in Chicago in 2011, 2012,  2013 and 2018.  He has also worked with  law students at the University of Colorado, UCLA, William & Mary, and Harvard Law School on technology use.  Articles by and about him have appeared in South Carolina Lawyer Magazine, ABA Magazine, and Lawyer’s Weekly newspaper.  Dave is Co-Author of the American Bar Association’s bestselling book, The Lean Law Firm.

Dave is rated a perfect 5.0 (preeminent) by fellow attorneys in the Martindale-Hubbell rating service.

Dave loves soccer, running, and spending time with his family.

Ann McCrackin

Ann McCrackin stands at the intersection of law and technology, bringing over 25 years of experience as a patent attorney and a trailblazer in the integration of AI into legal practices. With a career that spans both academia and industry, Ann has made significant contributions to the evolution of patent law in the digital age.

Ann’s legal career is rooted in her extensive experience as a patent attorney. For over two decades, she has provided strategic IP counseling and patent prosecution services to some of the most innovative companies in the world. Her deep understanding of both the technical and legal aspects of patent law has made her a trusted advisor to clients navigating the complexities of intellectual property.

In addition to her legal practice, Ann is a respected law professor, teaching courses on patent prosecution at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. She is committed to equipping the next generation of lawyers with the practical skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. Her approach to teaching combines traditional legal education with cutting-edge technology, ensuring her students are prepared for the future of law.

Ann’s forward-thinking approach to law is exemplified by her role as the co-founder and former president of an AI-driven legal tech company. For over a decade, she led a company developing AI tools designed to streamline legal processes, making patent prosecution more efficient and accessible. Her work in this space has positioned her as a leader in the legal tech community, where she continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in law.

A recognized thought leader in the legal community, Ann is frequently invited to speak at conferences and workshops on the integration of technology in law. She shares actionable insights that help law firms and corporate legal departments harness the power of AI to improve their practices. Her work is not just about keeping up with technological change; it’s about driving it in a way that benefits the legal profession as a whole.

Graham Newman

Graham Newman’s work focuses on complex litigation, including products liability and class actions. He is currently involved in many different areas of multidistrict litigation (MDL), including MDL 2738 (IN RE: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation), MDL 2741 (IN RE: Roundup Products Liability Litigation), and MDL 2885 (IN RE: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation). Presently, he is also litigating a class action regarding the unlawful sale of cryptocurrency.

Graham has previously focused on commercial class actions, contractual litigation, insurance bad faith, and products liability in both state and federal court. His trial court victories have included a $14.5 million insurance bad faith verdict, an $8 million class action judgment, and a $4.75 million products liability verdict. Recently, Graham also served as one of the leading attorneys in Parler v. SCANA Corporation, et al., a derivative and securities class action that resulted in a $63 million settlement.

Graham has briefed numerous appeals before the South Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court. He has also argued four cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and two cases before the South Carolina Supreme Court. Notable appellate court victories include the following: Bovain v. Canal Insurance Company, 383 S.C. 100, 678 S.E.2d 422 (S.C. 2009); Ward v. Dixie Nat. Life Ins. Co., 595 F.3d 164 (4th Cir. 2010); Stevens & Wilkinson of S.C., Inc. v. City of Columbia, 409 S.C. 563, 762 S.E.2d 693 (2014); Kirven v. Cent. States Health & Life Co., of Omaha, 409 S.C. 30, 760 S.E.2d 794 (2014); and State v. Samuel, 411 S.C. 602, 769 S.E.2d 662 (2015).

In addition to practicing law, Graham teaches an undergraduate legal course through the University of South Carolina Honors College and serves on several boards and committees dedicated to the improvement of the judicial system. Graham is married to Jenny Honeycutt Newman, who is also an attorney. The couple have a son, a Portuguese Water Dog, and a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. The Newman family enjoys spending time on Lake Murray and attending as many South Carolina Gamecock sporting events as possible

Jack Pringle

Jack Pringle helps companies manage information, address regulatory challenges, and explore potential opportunities in a changing technology landscape. He has more than 25 years of experience assisting businesses, including public utilities, in navigating the legal requirements applicable to their operations. Jack helps organizations design information governance strategies, implement and strengthen information security and privacy programs, and negotiate and manage technology contracts and third-party relationships.

In addition to providing contractual and compliance advice and counsel, Jack litigates numerous matters, including licensing and permitting applications and regulatory disputes, before local and state agencies and governmental entities, and in state and federal court.

Jodi Salter

Jodi Salter is a highly experienced academic professional who has dedicated over 30 years of her career to producing innovative programs and inspiring students at the University of South Carolina. She has played a critical role in shaping the university's cyber educational offerings. Currently serving as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Cyber Degree Program Manager with the Walker Institute of International and Area Studies, she conceived the new Cyber Intelligence (Cyber Policy and Ethics) degree program that launched in the fall of 2021. The program is interdisciplinary and holistic, with a focus on the human aspect of cyber and the challenges presented in today's rapidly changing cyber landscape. It offers a strategic educational option for students interested in the ever-growing and changing cyber arena. The Cyber Intelligence (Cyber Policy and Ethics) degree program is a testament to her innovative and forward-thinking approach to education by addressing cyber education as a business problem and then creating the arena for our next generation of cyber leaders to learn how to enable industry advancement.

In addition to her work at the University of South Carolina, Jodi is actively involved in the community, serving on key boards- locally, nationally, and internationally to include: the Columbia World Affairs Council (CWAC), Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR), Columbia Chamber of Commerce Diplomat Committee, SC Competes SC CyberSec and Palmetto AI Corridor committees and ATARC Cybersecurity and Workforce Development Working Group. Additionally, Jodi is the Founding Board Chair of South Carolina Women in Technology and the Director of SC Cyber, which brings education, government, and industry together to grow the cyber industry and workforce development in South Carolina.

Jodi's strengths include her ability to develop and strengthen initiatives, build authentic relationships, and create a positive and enriching environment for students and the community at large. She firmly believes that education, business, and cultural development are all integral to each other. Her career at the university and involvement in the community have given her a unique position to interconnect on many levels.

Connect with Jodi on LinkedIn.

Jim has had a long and varied career in private practice with a big law firm, in government service, and as a public interest lawyer.

Jim is President Emeritus of the Legal Services Corporation, the largest funder of civil legal aid in the United States. LSC, established by an Act of Congress in 1974, supports 132 independent legal aid programs with more than 850 offices serving every state and territory. Jim was President of LSC from 2011 to 2020.

He practiced law for 30 years with the international, Washington-based law firm of Arnold & Porter and served as the firm’s Managing Partner for a decade. Immediately prior to joining the Legal Services Corporation, he served as General Counsel of the District of Columbia Public Schools. He is a past President of the 110,000-member District of Columbia Bar.

Jim is Chair of the Executive Committee and of the Board of Advisors of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, Vice Chair of the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission, Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence, and Vice Chair of the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Law Institute, and serves on the boards of Albany Law School, the Pro Bono Institute, and the International Senior Lawyers Project. 

Jim previously served as chair of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Legal Needs Arising Out of the Covid-19 Pandemic, chair of the District of Columbia Circuit Judicial Conference Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services, chair of the boards of the Meyer Foundation and Whitman-Walker Health, and as a member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, the ABA’s Commission on the Future of Legal Services, and the boards of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, the Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia, the NALP Foundation for Law Career Research and Education, and Wilkes University.

Jim is a recipient of American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He was named one of the “90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years” by Legal Times. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School has honored him with its Alumni Award of Merit and its Howard Lesnick Pro Bono Award. He has also received the District of Columbia Bar’s highest honor, the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Award, as well as the Wiley A. Branton Award from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Legal Rights and Urban Affairs, the Washington Council of Lawyers’ Presidents’ Award, and the American Bar Association’s Presidential Citation.

Jim is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a cum laude graduate of Penn Carey Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as Executive Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. He began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Max Rosenn of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Jacqueline Schafer is the founder and CEO of Clearbrief (Winner, Litigation Technology Product of the Year, LegalWeek 2023). Schafer serves as one of inaugural members of the Texas Bar’s AI Taskforce, and she was chosen by the American Bar Association as one of the “2022 Women of Legal Tech” and named to the 2022 Fastcase 50, Honoring ‘Innovators, Techies, Visionaries and Leaders’ in Law, Schafer also received the 2021 Washington State Bar APEX Award for Legal Innovation for founding Clearbrief as well as for her 2020 law review article ("Harnessing AI for Struggling Families").

Jacqueline began her career as a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, and spent the majority of her career as an Assistant Attorney General in Alaska and Washington State, where she specialized in appellate practice and complex litigation. Before founding Clearbrief in 2020, she served as in-house counsel for a $3B national nonprofit. She received her B.A. in English and French from the University of Pennsylvania (where she sang with John Legend's former a cappella group!), and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Todd Serbin

Todd is Of Counsel in the Intellectual Property Group and focuses his practice on matters related to patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and entertainment law.

With nearly two decades of experience counseling clients ranging in size from individuals to Fortune 500 companies, he is prepared to tackle IP challenges with varying levels of sophistication and complexity. His range of experience includes preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patent and trademark applications, negotiation of IP-related agreements such as assignments, licenses, and joint research/venture agreements, and providing patentability and infringement opinions.

Todd has a wealth of international IP experience to offer clients as a consequence of practicing overseas for a number of years.  He has prepared substantive international filings for the EPO (Europe), the JPO (Japan), CIPO (Canada), and SIPO (China), among others.

His entertainment law practice includes counseling, negotiating and litigating matters for individual artists and authors. He also represents entertainment-related companies, such as promoters, publishers and record labels.

Previously, Todd practiced with Philadelphia-based Nachmias Morris & Alt, P.C. in Columbia, Ehrlich & Fenster, Ltd. in Tel Aviv, Israel and Lott & Friedland, P.A. in Miami.

Community & Professional

  • Miriam Barbosa Dance Company, Board of Directors
  • JDRF Palmetto Chapter, Board of Directors
  • University of Michigan, Columbia Spirit Club, Board of Directors
  • Beth Shalom Synagogue, Board of Directors
  • Carolina Patent, Trademark and Copyright Lawyers Association
  • South Carolina Bar, In-House Counsel Committee
  • Villanova University School of Law Minority Alumni Society
  • Capital City Club, Network Club, Executive Board
  • International Trademark Association (INTA)

When not in the office, Todd likes to experiment in the kitchen. His wife insists that his green coconut curry was the clinching factor in her decision to marry him. Raised on Chinese and traditional Jewish culinary delights (yes, they do exist, and no, we are not talking about gefilte fish), Todd enjoys preparing food for his family and friends almost as much as he likes to eat it, particularly Indian, Ethiopian, and Middle Eastern fare.

Todd also enjoys engaging in athletic/sporting endeavors of any kind, from cornhole to ice hockey to fly fishing, and spending time with his three young children, watching them participate in various activities, including travel soccer, gymnastics, dance, guitar, piano, and karate. Daddy’s little helpers also love to assist him with the planting of flowers in the garden.

Associate Dean Ned Snow

Professor Ned Snow teaches Intellectual Property, Patent, Copyright, Trademark, and Property. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of morality, intellectual property, and the Constitution. An author of more than twenty law review articles, he has recently published an academic book with Oxford University Press, Intellectual Property and Immorality, as well as two casebooks with Carolina Academic Press, Intellectual Property: A Survey of the Law and Patent Law: Fundamentals of Doctrine and Policy (with Dan Brean). He currently serves as Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Scholarship.

Prior to joining the University of South Carolina law faculty, Professor Snow held academic appointments at the University of Arkansas School of Law and Brigham Young University Law School. He practiced law in the Dallas office of Baker Botts LLP, and following law school, he clerked for Judge Edith Brown Clement of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Professor Snow earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.

Megan Stifel is the Chief Strategy Officer for the Institute for Security and Technology. She is the founder of Silicon Harbor Consultants, which provides strategic cybersecurity operations and policy counsel. Prior to founding Silicon Harbor Consultants, she was an attorney in the National Security Division at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

She most recently served as Global Policy Officer and Capacity and Resilience Program Director at the Global Cyber Alliance. She was previously the Cybersecurity Program Director at Public Knowledge.

While at DOJ, Megan served on detail as a Director for International Cyber Policy in the National Security Council at the White House. In this role she developed and implemented policies in connection with Internet governance, cybersecurity, and cybercrime. In particular, Megan developed and coordinated the interagency process culminating in the U.S. government’s March 2014 announcement regarding the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, developed the first ever interagency international cyber capacity building data call, supported the government’s response to the unauthorized disclosures of intelligence programs, and participated in multiple bilateral and multilateral engagements. She also contributed regularly to information sharing, privacy, and critical infrastructure protection policy development.

Prior to the White House, Megan worked at the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). At CCIPS she collaborated with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute computer crime cases, including identity theft, network intrusion, and malware distribution.

Megan previously served as the Director for Cyber Policy at NSD, where she coordinated the Division’s policy and legal analysis in connection with the 2009 Cyberspace Policy Review (CSPR) and the 2008 Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, cyber-related legislative proposals, cybersecurity investigations, cyber operations, and the telecommunications supply chain. She was a member of the interagency group that developed the 2011 International Strategy for Cyberspace and the CSPR. Megan joined DOJ in 2006; she initially prepared applications under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and provided legal and policy guidance to the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.

Prior to DOJ, Megan was an associate at Sutherland. She counseled clients on compliance with sanctions programs, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, anti-boycott laws, and foreign investment review. As a law student she served as legal intern for DOJ’s Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (now the Office of Intelligence). Prior to law school Megan worked on Capitol Hill, including two years with the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She received her Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and German magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.

Homayoun Valafar

Dr. Valafar's research activities fall into two broad categories of research: Computational Medicine and Computational Biology. The computational medicine tier of his research is focused on development of computational modeling of human response to different medical treatments or methods of rehabilitation. Dr. Valafar's group has demonstrated a success in relation to administration of Hydroxyurea for alleviation of symptoms associated with Sickle Cell Anemia. The second tier of his research focuses on the problem of protein folding. The general community of researchers focus on two disjoint and orthogonal approaches to protein structure determination: purely experimental and purely computational approaches. Each of these two approaches possess advantages and disadvantages that results in their continued research and developments and hinders their practical utility. Dr. Valafar's current research (funded by NIH and NSF) is focused on exploration of hybrid approaches that combines minimum experimental data with novel computational approaches. This hybrid approach has been shown to combine the advantages of each contributing components while mitigating their detriments. 

Bryant Walker Smith

Bryant Walker Smith is an associate professor in the School of Law and (by courtesy) the School of Engineering at the University of South Carolina, as well as an affiliate scholar at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School.

Trained as a lawyer and an engineer, Smith advises cities, states, countries, and the United Nations on emerging transport technologies. He coauthored the globally influential levels of driving automation, drafted a model law for automated driving, and taught the first legal course dedicated to automated driving [pdf] (in 2012). Smith is currently writing on what it means for a company to be trustworthy. His publications are available at newlypossible.org.

Before joining the University of South Carolina, Smith led the legal aspects of automated driving program at Stanford University, clerked for the Hon. Evan J. Wallach at the United States Court of International Trade, and worked as a fellow at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He holds both an LL.M. in International Legal Studies and a J.D. (cum laude) from New York University School of Law and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to his legal career, Smith worked as a transportation engineer.


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