News

Professor Gary Pieples Discusses the FTC’s Proposed “Click-to-Cancel” Rule

Professor Gary Pieples spoke with Life Wire about the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed “Click-to-Cancel” rule that is intended to make canceling subscriptions easier.

“Companies have been using every trick in the book to make it so that once you order a renewable product, whether that’s a subscription to an internet service or a political donation, you struggle to stop the constant renewals,” said Pieples.

Professor Jenny Breen Comments on Whether a Sitting President Can be Prosecuted

Professor Jenny Breen spoke with Newsweek for the article “Can Trump Derail His Criminal Case by Becoming President Again?”

“Now if he’s elected and becomes a sitting president again, then those issues are brought back to the fore, the federalism issues, the constitutional issues … But I don’t think it’s possible to predict what would happen because again this has never happened before. So there’s no way to kind of look at precedent and see what typically happens in these cases because it’s the first time it has occurred.”

College of Law Honors Student Rohan Bhattacharjee with the IAPP Annual Westin Scholar Award

Rohan Bhattacharjee

Syracuse, NY – 04/4/23 – Syracuse University College of Law is pleased to announce the 2023 IAPP Westin Scholar Award honoree as 2L Rohan Bhattacharjee.  With the growing need for well-qualified privacy and data protection professionals, the annual Westin Scholar Awards were created by the International Association of Privacy Professionals to support students who are identified as future leaders in the field of privacy and data protection.

As a participating Westin Scholar Award school, Syracuse University College of Law’s 2023 Kurt Wimmer IAPP Westin Scholar Award Committee (Prof. Lauryn Gouldin, Prof. Keli Perrin, Assistant Dean Sophie Dagenais, Assistant Dean Lily Hughes, and Amber Lawyer L’17, Deputy Chair, Bond, Schoeneck & King Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice) have selected second-year law student Rohan Bhattacharjee to receive this year’s award in recognition of his passion and path that he has already forged for himself for a career in privacy law.  

“The industry of privacy is fast growing and constantly evolving. We’ve created this award to put the privacy profession at the forefront of student’s minds as they explore potential career opportunities,” said J. Trevor Hughes, IAPP President and CEO. “Congratulations Rohan. We look forward to seeing the good work you will bring to the field of privacy.”

Rohan will be awarded the following:

  • A $1,000 cash award
  • 2 years of membership with the IAPP
  • 3 complimentary exams for IAPP certifications (CIPP, CIPM, CIPT)
  • Unlimited access to online training for recipient’s selected IAPP certification exams

Bhattacharjee is currently a Privacy Law Extern at Trillium Health, a Research Associate in the College of Law’s Innovation Law Center, helping clients with technology commercialization research, and a candidate to receive a Masters in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.  He is planning to take the IAPP CIPM, CIPP/U.S, and CIPP/E certifications.  “Thank you to the Kurt Wimmer IAPP Westin Award Committee,” said Bhattacharjee.  “It is an honor to be selected, and I look forward to obtaining the IAPP certifications and contributing to the field of privacy.”

About the Westin Scholar Award and Kurt Wimmer

The Westin Scholar Awards pay homage to the late Dr. Alan Westin, a foundational voice in the field of privacy and data protection. Throughout his life, Dr. Westin researched and wrote about privacy, data protection, digital identity, and the future of how societies will deal with issues at the intersection of law and technology. He is the namesake for the IAPP Westin Research Center and Fellowship Program, which was founded in 2013 and serves as a pathway for future leaders in the community. More information on the Award can be found at: Westin Scholar Award.

Proud Syracuse Law alumnus Kurt Wimmer was an international leader in privacy, cybersecurity, technology and media law, whose career at Covington & Burling spanned more than three decades, including as co-chair of the firm’s global data privacy and cybersecurity practice in Washington, D.C.

As a privacy and technology lawyer, Wimmer worked closely with clients including Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and other multinational organizations, in addition to non-traditional clients such as the National Football League and National Hockey League.

Professor Todd Berger Discusses the “Ideal Trump Juror” with Newsweek

Professor Todd Berger, director of Advocacy Programs, was quoted in the Newsweek article “The 3 Qualities of Trump’s Ideal Jurors, According to Lawyers.” Although a trial date is unknown, the article covers aspects of seating prospective jurors.

Professor Berger explains that in criminal cases, prosecutors often seek out jurors from the white, working-class with conservative views who are law and order oriented. However, Trump’s case might see a role reversal, in which the defense is seeking conservative working-class jurors.

Rob Beard, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Micron to Serve as Syracuse University College of Law’s 2023 Commencement Speaker

Rob Beard

SYRACUSE, N.Y., April 3, 2023 — Syracuse University College of Law has announced that Rob Beard, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Micron Technology, will deliver the 2023 commencement address.

“The College of Law is proud to have Rob as our 2023 commencement speaker. As Syracuse and the surrounding area welcome Micron to our community, I am excited to build a truly symbiotic relationship with Micron, to help it accomplish its ambitious goals and to advance our mission, our students, and our surrounding communities,” said College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise. “We look forward to Rob’s perspective as a C-suite leader of one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, and the important impact the law has on global business and innovation.”

“I am honored to deliver the commencement address to the 2023 graduating class at Syracuse Law,” said Beard. “These talented lawyers will be the leaders who help move our world forward in sustainable ways, greatly contributing to the communities where they work and live.”

The College of Law commencement will take place on Friday, May 5, at 11 a.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome. Visit the College of Law commencement website for updates and details.

“Rob is among the many members of the Micron team that were instrumental in bringing this transformational company to our region,” says Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud. “His experiences and accomplishments will be valuable lessons for our graduates as they make their way in the professional world. It is especially fitting that Rob will speak at this year’s law commencement, the first since Micron announced its $100 billion investment that will revitalize Central New York and its economy, and impact lives for generations to come.”  

Beard is the senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Micron Technology. He was involved in Micron’s plans to invest more than $100 billion over the next 20-plus years in Clay, New York, and led the team that negotiated a historic incentive package with Empire State Development.  Beard also promoted the CHIPS & Science Act and now co-heads Micron’s CHIPS grant application process. His team of around 100 lawyers and legal professionals at Micron spans 11 sites globally, including the United States, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and European Union.

Beard joined Micron in 2014 to work with the company’s corporate development team on a wide range of strategic transactions.

Before joining Micron, Beard was an associate at Weil Gotshal & Manges in London and New York, where he focused on M&A and capital markets transactions, and at Shearman & Sterling in London, where he focused on debt capital markets transactions. He has also taught at the University of Illinois College of Law and the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, and clerked for the Honorable Judge N. Randy Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is a member of the New York State Bar.

Beard graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s in political science and received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law (summa cum laude). He was a college athlete and continues to be active today through mountain biking, skiing and other outdoor activities. 

Professor Emeritus William Banks Discusses the Indictment of Former President Trump

Professor Emeritus William Banks spoke with WAER on the indictment of Former President Trump by the Manhattan District Attorney.

“The Constitution provides that a president can be impeached while in office for high crimes and misdemeanors,” Banks explained. “And the Constitution also explicitly says that upon the end of his term, or her term, the President is amenable to the law, like all the rest of us may be prosecuted and convicted for crimes as a regular citizen.”

Professor Michelle Schenandoah Discusses the Impact of the Vatican Rejecting the “Doctrine of Discovery” on Indigenous People

In this Associated Press article, Professor Michelle Schenandoah comments on the recent development of the Vatican rejecting the “Doctrine of Discovery” that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today.

“This goes beyond land. It really has created generation upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards Indigenous peoples. And I think that it’s time for these governments to take full accountability for their actions.”

Distinguished Lecturer Luca Arnaudo and Co-author Gabriella Muscolo Honored at the Antitrust Writing Awards for Best Intellectual Property Business Article

Distinguished Lecturer Luca Arnaudo, along with co-author Gabriella Muscolo (partner and head of the Antitrust Department at Franzosi Dal Negro Setti with Muscolo in Milan and Rome), won the Best Business Articles, Intellectual Property category at the 2023 Antitrust Writing Awards. The paper, Patent Settlements: An Overview of US, EU, and National Case Law, focuses on patent settlement practices in the bio-pharmaceutical industry from an antitrust perspective.

The paper appeared in 1 September 2022, e-Competitions Patent Settlements, Art. N° 108344.

Arnaudo teaches “Big Pharma & Biotech: Life Science Law & Economics” in the JDinteractive program.

The Best Antitrust Writing Awards competition is held annually by Concurrences Antitrust Publications and Events.

Luca Arnaudo with the certificate with co-author Gabriella Muscolo to his left.

Professor Gary Pieples Joins New York State Law Professors in Opposition to Governor Hochul’s Proposed Changes to Current Bail Reform Law

Professor Gary Pieples, director of the Criminal Defense Clinic, has joined more than 100 law professors from every law school in New York in opposition to Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed changes to the current bail reform law.

In the Daily Orange, Pieples said Hochul’s plan would regress to a time when judges had complete discretion, before the 1960s when lawmakers began to revise the law. He emphasized in line with the letter that the sole legal purpose of bail is to ensure the defendant returns to court, and this must remain the standard for evaluation.

“None of these people have been convicted, and they’re being accused of something. Nobody’s determined whether they’ve done it, and the system is based on the belief that all of these folks are innocent until the government can prove otherwise,” Pieples said. “Partly, it’s just undoing that general idea that ‘oh, well, you’re dangerous and we’re going to put you in jail because of that.’”