UD partners with LexisNexis, Emerson to better teach tech industry law

When it comes to learning about legal issues in the digital era, the University of Dayton’s law school is getting some help from two Miami Valley tech companies.

LexisNexis in Miamisburg and Emerson at UD are helping to teach law students about regulation, product liability and data security and privacy while developing new legal products and services, according to the university.

Students are working with LexisNexis lawyers to see what technology they can develop to help members of the legal community do their jobs better.

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“Newly minted lawyers are facing 21st century practices that include virtual law firms and courtrooms as well as automated case management, document assembly and document review,” Andrew Strauss, UD’s school of law dean said in a prepared statement. “LexisNexis allows our students to dive into this area right where these technologies are being developed.”

At Emerson on UD’s campus, students are learning about the “internet of things” and are able to gain experience with the technology right where it’s being developed, Strauss said. By 2020, Strauss said he expects there will be more than 200 billion connected devices that will include wearables, phones, Internet-connected homes and autonomous cars that communicate with each other and humans.

“These devices provide a multitude of social and individual benefits, but they also raise legal issues,” Strauss said. “It’s increasingly important our students are prepared to work in this area.”

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The collaborations with Emerson and LexisNexis are the latest additions to UD’s technology law school initiative. The initiative is building a reputation for being at the forefront of law and technology in both teaching and research, according to UD.

National experts teach students in UD’s law and technology program, which offers concentrations and certificates in intellectual property and cyber law.

Students can also get a “tech credential” in addition to their law degree, according to the university. The credential is designed to show employers that they know how to use the kind of tech that law firms, courts and others use while practicing.

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