'Impact' Series Considers Technology and the Law, Nov. 20
November 15, 2013
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Library stacks filled with old law books. Clerks scurrying from courtroom to courtroom, carrying thick binders of case briefs and notes. Judges calling a halt to a legal proceeding because an important document is missing.
These are glimpses into a world of legal practice that is rapidly evolving—changing forever into a way of working that is faster, more intuitive and more easily accessible, all due to the advent of technology. But ... is it a better world? Is it a world where justice also is more within our reach? What have we set aside as we've sought to create a legal landscape where a major decision can be rendered by filling out an electronic form, or by pushing a button? How can we balance ease of use with effective representation, equal protection—indeed, all of the tenets of a democratic society founded on the rule of law?
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the University of Baltimore's Ampersand Institute for Words & Images will continue its "Impact of Technology" series—a semester's worth of enlightening and empowering discussions about the global evolution of technology from a variety of perspectives, featuring UB faculty and special guests—with a talk about the rise of technology in the practice of law. The event will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the M. Scot Kaufman Auditorium in the William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center (home of the Merrick School of Business), 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave. It is free and open to the public.
The panelists will be:
- Jim Astrachan, attorney with Astrachan Gunst Thomas
- T.J.O'Donnell, assistant professor in UB's Klein Family School of Communications Design
- Michael Meyerson, professor and Piper & Marbury Faculty Fellow in the UB School of Law and director of the Baltimore Scholars Program
"There used to be a time when the endless circle of ‘desire, satisfaction, dissolution, desire’ drove the economy. Today, businesses must accept the fact that the control of this system no longer lies in the hands of the seller, but technology has now allowed the user to control the process," said Edwin Gold, professor in UB's School of Communication Design and director of the Ampersand Institute. "People can pick and choose when they want to access information as well as instantly compare the prices and quality of any product or service in the world."
More information about the series is available by calling 410.837.6022 or sending an email to jcrooks@ubalt.edu.
Learn more about the Ampersand Institute for Words & Images.
Check out a brief Q&A with Gold about the "Impact of Technology" series.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.