Our Unique Approach

Technology presents many opportunities and challenges for law, as for society more generally. Technologists—and the technologies and companies they produce – rarely prepare for the legal, policy, and public reaction to their technologies or companies. The gap is made visible daily in national and international media headlines. Yet the threats to privacy, autonomy, democracy, and other fundamental individual and collective human values that new technologies present must be understood and reconciled with their potential for benefit. 

The University of Arizona’s TechLaw program takes a distinctive approach among technology policy centers. Our touchstone is pragmatism. The coursework, clinical experiences, and research are grounded in both realism and theory. We strive to be non-partisan, open-minded, and highly competent. Because our faculty produces rigorous research that channels technology to solve societal problems, we are uniquely positioned to be a guiding light in the field.

At the same time, TechLaw cultivates a relaxed atmosphere that is conducive to deep and creative thinking. We prefer conversations that lead with curiosity, humility, and a sense of humor and wonder over those that confidently assume that we have the answers. Sustainable approaches to regulating technology will be the product of technical competence, policy expertise, and open minds.