Data Privacy Law

Important note for Spring 2026:  Please note this 2-credit course is scheduled in a period for 3-credit courses. To accommodate Dean McGeveran's schedule, the class will meet 18 times over the semester and the other one-third of sessions will be canceled. See the syllabus for further details.

Students seeking a an additional credit and deeper perspective on privacy law should consider registering for GDPR in Context, a closely related class that will meet in the second half of the semester. The course is taught by Santa Slokenberga, a visitor from our partner law school at Uppsala University in Sweden.

Every single day, the newspaper contains stories – plural intended – about data privacy and security. Whether they concern the National Security Agency, Facebook, or a data breach at a small business, the handling of personal information has become a central concern of our time. In response, a complex law of data privacy has emerged, and now it is a fast growing area of legal practice. This course will equip students to counsel clients about an array of federal, state, and international legal requirements – while also analyzing them critically and thinking about the societal challenges posed by new information technology. Assessment will include group projects and a take-home final.