Many Northwestern Master of Science in Law (MSL) students come to the program with an interest in policy development, and every class in the curriculum considers the role of policy in one way or another. Similarly, MSL students are interested in ethics, and all are required to take a course on “Ethics in Law & STEM-Related Fields.” Policy and ethical issues are infused throughout the MSL curriculum. For example, it is difficult to fully assess new uses of technology without considering ethical issues raised by that use (Assessing AI & Computational Technologies class), or to review adherence with privacy regulations without considering societal, policy, and ethical concerns (Privacy Law & Regulation classes). The presentations in this post focus on a mix of topics in this broad ethics/policy/society category through an interdisciplinary lens.
To learn more about the 2022 MSL Symposium, please check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series.
Jill Woodman, a part-time graduate, takes a look at how the television show Star Trek anticipated certain scientific and technological advances and how those advances led to some of the privacy issues we are currently grappling with. Note: You don’t have to be a Trekkie to appreciate this talk! (But it helps!)
Darrel Swanson talks about forced arbitration clauses and how those clauses led to injustice and discrimination in employment. He reviews a new law that invalidates certain clauses in an attempt to hold employers liable for bad behavior. As a part-time student, Darrell was able to bring important real-world perspective into the classroom.
Yael Ramirez, a full-time graduate, discusses the current political status of Puerto Rico as an unincorporated territory of the United States, noting some of the disadvantages of the current system, and considering the possibility of statehood as a solution.
Malcolm Xavier discusses legal, technical, policy, and ethical issues associated with video-sharing applications. Malcolm discusses issues involving race, and also the role that different stakeholders play in the development of policy and laws that will guide the future landscape of video-sharing. Malcolm is a part-time MSL student.
