News and Announcements

Social Justice Monday Features Alumna

November 17, 2025

The November 17 Social Justice Monday, which featured Catherine Romero ('96) from Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, was co-sponsored by the TILE Institute and the AI Law Society. The AI4Good team is a philanthropic research initiative which partners with organizations worldwide to apply AI to real-world challenges, contributing to more than 300 projects for disaster prediction and relief, early warnings for food shortages, medical advancements, and biodiversity monitoring in remote regions. Her presentation was followed by a spirited Q&A that deepened students' understanding of how AI’s rapid development will shape the legal field.

Microsoft Chief Privacy Officer Cari Benn Speaks on Building a Strong Privacy Culture

November 4, 2025

On Tuesday, November 4, @Professor Koa’s and @Professor Bernstein’s Privacy in Practice class partnered with the Privacy Law Students Association, and the TILE Institute to host Cari Benn (’05), Microsoft’s Chief Privacy Officer, for an insightful discussion moderated by Adjunct Professor Chris Koa. The conversation explored ways to stay on top of emerging privacy laws, Cari’s commitment to fostering a strong privacy culture, and the critical role legal professionals play in advancing policy by design.

USPTO Regional Director Mary Fuller Speaks to FlexJD Students on Overlapping Areas of IP Protection

Mary Fuller, the Western Regional Office Director of the USPTO, guest lectured in Professor Maggie Chon's Intellectual Property (IP) course for FlexJD students. Director Fuller spoke about the different areas of IP protection and how they can overlap in the enforcement context. She was also the September 2025 speaker for the TILE Institute Speakers Series.

TILE Speaker Series Panel Explores Intersection of Fashion, IP, and Privacy Law

October 21, 2025

For the October TILE Speaker Series meeting, the Fashion & Arts Law Society co-hosted an engaging panel discussion with the Privacy Law Student Association and the Intellectual Property Law Society, featuring local attorneys Sindy Ding-Voorhees (Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton), Nika Aldrich (Schwabe), and Amy Weston (Miller Nash).

The panelists explored the evolving intersection of fashion, intellectual property, and privacy law from both litigation and transactional perspectives, offering students valuable real-world insight into how these disciplines converge in practice. 

October 20, 2025

The WSBA Legal Technology Task Force released its final report: Embracing Change: A Strategic Roadmap for Washington’s Legal Profession in a Time of Technology Disruption. TILE Institute Director Margaret Chon and the law library's Associate Director for Digital Innovation LeighAnne Thompson participated in the Task Force, as well as TILE Research Assistants Caitlin Clarke, Ibrahim Badawi (SJD), Stephanie Ewubajo (LL.M.), Rosie Midget, Sharon Rogers, and Wyatt Young. Read more about the Task Force Report and its Recommendations.

SU School of Law Named Innovative Law School

October 15, 2025

Once again, the National Jurist lists Seattle University as one of the “most innovative law schools” on the strength of its TILE Institute initiatives, including an innovative cross-disciplinary practicum offered in the spring 2025 on “Ethical Legal Technology Innovation” co-taught by Associate Director of Digital Innovation for the Law Library LeighAnne Thompson along with Computer Science Professor Steve Hanks.

Double Seattle U Law Alumna Wins Writing Award

October 13, 2025

Erin McIntire (JD ’15; LL.M. Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship ’25) won the 2025 Mark Reutlinger Writing for Excellence in Legal Writing Scholarship for her final paper “Stumbling in the Race Towards Zero Hunger: How the TRIPS Agreement Creates Hurdles to Reaching SDG2,” written for Professor Maggie Chon’s Fall ‘24 International Intellectual Property course. Erin is also one of several Seattle U students to obtain a CIPP-US certification from the IAPP in 2025 and is the new mother of a son, Zaire (born the week before she received the Reutlinger prize). Congratulations to Erin on all fronts!

TILE Director Wins Grant From Authors Alliance

October 2, 2025

International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Offers Student Discounts

October 1, 2025

Alumna’s mentorship honored at TILE Annual Celebration

September 30, 2025

At Seattle University School of Law’s third annual Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Institute’s Annual Celebration of Alumni, Microsoft Director of Compliance and Responsible AI Catherine Romero ’96, who works on Microsoft’s philanthropic AI for Good team, received the 2025 TILE Alumni Award for her mentorship of law students.

Romero, whom Dean Anthony E. Varona called “a shining example of how our alumni truly are leaders serving justice,” co-founded the Hispanic National Bar Association’s (HNBA) Intellectual Property Law Institute (IPLI), an intellectual property and tech law immersion program for law students, and actively mentors many Hispanic law students and lawyers. Learn more here.

Seattle U Law TILE Symposium Explores Why Libraries Matter to Democracy

September 30, 2025

The TILE Institute hosted its 2025 Symposium, “Why Libraries Matter Now More Than Ever to Democracy: Legal Issues Affecting the Future of Public Knowledge,” on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from noon to 3:30 p.m. in Room 110 of Sullivan Hall at Seattle University School of Law.

The event brought together experts in copyright law, technology and library studies to discuss the crucial role libraries play in safeguarding knowledge and supporting democracy.

The symposium was co-sponsored by the Seattle University Law Review and the Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental and Innovation Law.

Learn more: TILE Institute 2025 Symposium

School of Law Signs Second-Year Agreement With U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

July 28, 2025

Seattle University School of Law has entered into a formal agreement for a second year with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to provide patent pro bono services across Washington state. The initiative will be led by TILE Director and Professor Maggie Chon. Under this new joint project agreement, the School of Law will administer the Washington State/TILE Patent Pro Bono Program, a regional program aimed at helping financially under-resourced independent inventors and small businesses navigate the complex patent application process.

This work directly supports the USPTO’s national effort to make intellectual property services more equitable and accessible under the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022. This collaboration builds on the law school’s commitment to social justice and public service by ensuring that innovation support reaches underserved communities.

See more at: Washington State-TILE Patent Pro Bono Program.

Seattle U Law Hosts AI, Tech & Law Summer Course for Jindal Students

July 23, 2025

Seattle University School of Law recently concluded its AI, Tech, & Law Summer Course, welcoming twenty-seven students from Jindal Global Law School (JGLS). The program explored the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics, and legal practice through classroom sessions, site visits, and guest lectures.

Highlights included a closing dinner with Father Paolo Benanti, AI Advisor to the Pope, who spoke on AI and ethics, and Pallavi Wahi, Managing Partner at K&L Gates, who shared her journey from arriving in Seattle as a Microsoft spouse to becoming one of the top lawyers in America.

Students also visited Microsoft headquarters and Perkins Coie, engaging with leaders in responsible AI and corporate strategy. Feedback from professionals praised the students’ “thoughtful and sophisticated questions,” describing them as “energizing,” “impressive,” and “challenging in the best way.”

The program was organized in collaboration with the Roundglass India Center.

See more on LinkedIn: AI, Tech & Law Summer Course.

Seattle U Law Offers AIGP Certification Prep

June 22, 2025

The TILE Institute partnered with the WSBA Privacy Law Committee of the Business Law Section to host a certification training for the IAPP’s new Artificial Governance Professional (AIGP) exam. This was made possible through the efforts of Olivia Holder (Bracker & Holder  LLP), Sofia Kovach, and Seattle U Law alumna Esther Arokun ’24.

Fifteen students from Seattle U and the University of Washington participated in the training, led by Mark Webber, Managing Partner at Fieldfisher. All participants received vouchers to take the AIGP exam at no cost, along with a one-year student membership in the IAPP.

See more on LinkedIn: AIGP Training at SU Law

Ethics & Tech 2025 Panel Examines Democracy and Global Rights

June 21, 2025

Panelists Mark Chinen (Seattle University) and Sonia Katyal (University of California-Berkeley) and moderator TILE Institute Director Maggie Chon (Seattle University) discussed democracy, fundamental rights and the global picture at the 2025 Seattle University Ethics & Tech Conference held on June 18, 2025, on the SU campus.

Video: Panel with Mark Chinen and Sonia Katyal, moderated by Maggie Chon

Seattle U Law’s 8th Annual Innovation & Tech Law Conference Focuses on AI Regulation

June 9, 2025

TILE held its 8th Annual Innovation and Technology Law Conference on June 6, 2025, focusing on Regulating Artificial Intelligence: From Where and When? This fully free and virtual event, organized by Associate Dean for Planning and Strategic Initiatives and Professor Steve Bender and other TILE faculty, featured experts discussing international AI regulation, industry vs. government oversight, AI misinformation, and inclusive democracy. A final panel explored the role of Washington State legal organizations in AI governance.

The conference was sponsored by Seattle University School of Law, the TILE Institute, the SITIE Initiative, SJTEIL, and Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C.

See more at: 8th Annual Innovation and Technology Law Conference (2025).

Students Build AI Tools to Expand Legal Access

May 22, 2025

In a competitive process for an internal Seattle University grant, the Multidisciplinary Generative AI Research Award (spring ’24) in the amount of $15,000 was given to a faculty group consisting of Professor and TILE Institute Director Chon and Professors Hanks (computer science), Kang (education), and Thompson (law).

As a result, Winter Quarter 2025 marked the launch of a new cross-disciplinary practicum titled “Ethical Legal Technology Innovation.” Co-taught by Professors Hanks and Thompson, this course convened a cohort of four JD students and ten graduate-level Computer Science students to work collaboratively to design and prototype tools aimed at improving access to justice and legal services through responsible, AI-enabled legal technology.

Students worked in three interdisciplinary teams on projects to improve access to legal services through community partnerships, user-centered design, and the practical application of generative AI. The teams developed the following projects:

1. Domestic Violence Protection Orders: In partnership with the Family Law Center, this team developed an AI-powered tool to help survivors draft statements for Domestic Violence Protection Order petitions. This tool aims to streamline attorney review, thereby enabling the Family Law Center to serve more clients.
2. Small Business Formation Tool: Addressing a gap in affordable legal services for small businesses and nonprofit founders, this team created a chatbot that helps users identify the appropriate legal business structure and generates formation documents accordingly.
3. International Student Work Authorization Advisor: Partnering with the International Student Center, this team developed a chatbot guidance tool to help international students on F-1 visas navigate the complexities of Curricular and Optional Practical Training (CPT and OPT), two categories of work authorization specific to international students.

In April 2025, the student teams presented their prototypes at a reception attended by faculty, students, and community partners. View student presentations.

See more on LinkedIn: Ethical Legal Tech Innovation practicum.

Alum Kevin De Liban Talks AI and Inequality 

May 2, 2025

In April, the TILE Institute partnered with the Artificial Intelligence Law Society; to host Kevin De Liban (Seattle University School of Law Class of ’11), Founder, President, and Attorney from TechTonic Justice. De Liban presented on his recent report Inescapable AI: The Ways AI Decides How Low-Income People Work, Live, Learn, and Survive and; discussed the many ways that AI has been exacerbating inequities and oppression within society as well as educated students about algorithmic justice.

Read more about TechTonic Justice and view LinkedIn post: Presentation on Inescapable AI.

Panel Explores Business & Law Career Insights

March 3, 2025

The TILE Institute supported a February 2025 panel event hosted by the Business and Entrepreneurship Law Association, featuring attorneys Rachel Morowitz, Brett Kobes, Jane Pryjmak, and Michelle Pham '11. The session offered Seattle U Law students valuable insights into business and legal practice.

Read more on LinkedIn:  Business and Legal Practice Panel.

LLM Student Wins Prestigious Privacy Law Award

February 3, 2025

Agenor Leite, an LLM student in Technology and Innovation from Brazil, was selected for the IAPP’s A. Serwin Conference Scholarship, awarded to 25 students globally for excellence in privacy, AI governance, and digital responsibility.

As part of the honor, Leite attended the Global Privacy Summit in Washington, D.C., where professionals and policymakers gather to discuss developments in data protection and emerging tech. The award supports student engagement in rapidly evolving areas of privacy law.

Read more on LinkedIn: IAPP Scholarship.

Faculty Spotlight: AI in Legal Education Feature

January 15, 2025

Associate Director for Digital Innovation and professor LeighAnne Thompson and Legal Writing Director Kathryn Boling were interviewed for an article titled "AI in Legal Education: A Seattle University Excerpt," published in the January/February 2025 issue of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association's magazine, Pierce County Lawyer. The article was written by Owen Leopold, a second-year law student at Seattle University.

Careers in IP Law: Alumni & Experts Share Insights

December 19, 2024

In fall 2024, the TILE Institute collaborated with the Intellectual Property Law Society to host a panel on careers in intellectual property law. The event featured alumni and professors with experience in music, video gaming, and other fields. Panelists discussed intellectual property rights in the age of AI, shared career advice, and provided insights on working in tech law. The speakers included:

• Adjunct Professor Mark Wittow, a partner at K&L Gates’ Intellectual Property Group
• Adjunct Professor Chad Smith, a member of Ironmark Law Group and former examining attorney at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• IP Law Society President Hannah Porter, a student from the class of 2026
• Professor Jeffrey Omari from Gonzaga University School of Law
• Cayle Sharratt, a 2013 alumnus and in-house attorney for Business and Legal Affairs at SubPop Records
• Kathy Carpenter (née Kim), a 1995 alumna and senior in-house attorney at Wizards of the Coast.

Read more on LinkedIn: IP Panel.

AALS to Feature SU Law Legal Tech Symposium

December 9, 2024

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) selected the symposium proposal, “Expanding Access to Justice through Legal Tech Innovation and Education,” to be featured at the AALS 2025 Annual Meeting in January 2025.

TILE Director and Professor Chon and Associate Director for Digital Innovation and Professor Thompson, along with Penn Carey Law School Professor Miguel Willis (SU Law '17), will assemble a dozen professors specializing in legal tech education to speak at this half-day symposium.

Students Earn Free Legal Tech Certification

November 18, 2024

The Seattle University Law Library offered 10 students the opportunity to earn a National Society of Legal Technology certificate at no cost. Completion of the certificate signals to employers and colleagues an expertise in legal technology or e-discovery.

TILE Event Speaker warns against Tech Addiction in Youth

October 2, 2024

The Seattle University Law Review has published Volume 48, Issue 3 (2025), titled "Re-imagining Tomorrow: A Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics Symposium on Addictive Technology and Children." This issue was created in collaboration with TILE and organized by TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon.

The focus of the publication is on technology addiction and its impact on children. It features contributions from Professor Gaia Bernstein, the keynote speaker for the TILE Fall 2024 alumni celebration, along with six other authors who analyze legal approaches to addressing the harmful effects of social media on youth.

Read more: TILE Event Speaker Warns of Youth Social Media Addiction.

TILE Alumni Celebration Highlights Tech & Ethics

October 2, 2024

TILE held its Annual Celebration of Alumni on September 30, 2024 with keynote speaker Professor Gaia Bernstein, introduced by TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon. A law professor @SetonHallLaw, an internationally prominent thought leader, and the author of "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies," Bernstein spoke about the harmful effects of social media over-consumption for teens.

The event also featured opening remarks from Dean Tony Varona and the presentation of the 2024 TILE Alumni Award from Professor Steve Bender to @pennlaw Professor Miguel Willis '17.

Read more: TILE event speaker warns of youth social media addiction.

Seattle U Joins National AI & Education Institute

September 12, 2024

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) selected Seattle University for its 2024-25 Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum.

Associate Director for Digital Innovation and Professor Thompson will participate in exploring the current digital evolution of student learning with generative artificial intelligence (AI).

The Institute asks how to ensure that students achieve a range of learning outcomes within existing courses and programs, balanced with academic integrity and traditional pedagogy, with the use of generative AI.

Prof. Cumbow Named Trademark Lawyer of the Year 

August 23, 2024

Longtime beloved Adjunct Professor Bob Cumbow has been awarded Best Lawyer 2024 Trademark Lawyer of the Year in the Seattle area. An SU law alumnus (class of ’91), Professor Cumbow has taught trademark law to generations of SU law students and has counseled many on their journeys toward careers in intellectual property law practice.

TILE Faculty Appointed to Washington State Legal Technology Task Force

August 1, 2024

Professors Chon and Thompson are also serving on the Washington State Bar Association Legal Technology Task Force, chaired by former Mayor and U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan. Also appointed by the WSBA Board of Governors to this task force are Seattle U Law alumnae Laura Lemire and Kari Petrasek.

The task force charge and charter can be found here: The Washington State Bar Association's Legal Technology Task Force (wsba.org).

The Task Force’s final report and recommendations were presented to the WSBA Board of Governors on September 26, 2025 and can be accessed here: 1 WSBA_Legal Tech Task Force Report and Recommendations.

Newsletters

• TILE September 2025 Newsletter
• TILE April 2025 Newsletter
• TILE March 2025 Newsletter
• TILE February 2025 Newsletter
• TILE January 2025 Newsletter
• TILE November 2024 Newsletter
• TILE October 2024 Newsletter
• TILE September 2024 Newsletter

From Around the Law School

Social Justice Monday Features Alumna

Catherine Romero ('96) spoke at Social Justice Monday in November 2025, in a program co-sponsored by TILE and the AI Law Society. Pictured from l-r: Garrett Gregory, Kate Sargent, Itzel Gonzalez Patino, Catherine Romero, Jorge Zelidon, Jack Marino, and Allison Olivares, November 2025.

Privacy in Practice Guest Speaker

The Privacy in Practice class welcomed guest speaker Cari Benn (’05), Microsoft’s Chief Privacy Officer, in a moderated discussion led by Adjunct Professor Chris Koa. Pictured here (l-r) are: TILE Director Maggie Chon, Professor Mark Verstraete, Adjunct Professor Jake Bernstein ('07), Cari Benn ('05), and Adjunct Professor Chris Koa, November 2025.

Fashion Law Panel Features Local Attorneys

Student Organization Leaders 2025-26

TILE-affiliated student organization leaders gather before the first TILE monthly meeting of the fall 2025 semester, September 2025.

Jindal Summer Exchange Program

Speakers at final dinner culminating the successful Jindal Law School summer exchange program, July 2025.

IAPP Certification Workshop

The TILE Institute partnered with the WSBA Privacy Law Committee to host an IAPP certification workshop for the new AIGP exam, thanks to the efforts of Olivia Holder (Holder & Bracken), Sofia Kovach as well as SU alumna Esther Arokun ('25), June 2025.

Innovation and Technology Conference Panel

TILE Speaker Series Features Alumnus

Social Justice Monday

Business and Entrepreneurship Law Association

Expanding Access to Justice