INTRODUCTION FROM THE PRIVACY LAW SECTION CHAIR

VOLUME 1, 2024, PRIVACY LAW SECTION JOURNAL

Written by Nicholas Ginger

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the Privacy Law Section’s first Journal. When our Section was formed several years ago, we set out a list of accomplishments we hoped to achieve. You are holding in your hands the end result of one of our more ambitious goals, a print publication that facilitates dialogue and thought leadership in the emerging area of Privacy law. And yet, our first publication could not be more timely. Since the inception of our Section, approximately twelve states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws, the U.S. and the E.U. have agreed on a major new data transfer program, reproductive health data became evidence for prosecutions in several states, there has been increased awareness of the detrimental effects of social media on teen mental health, dramatic developments in artificial intelligence have reinvigorated concerns over systematized biases, and yes, there was a major pandemic that pushed the social and work lives of millions of people online, exposing our data to countless malefactors. Clearly the need for Privacy professionals is at an all-time high.

As Chair, it is my privilege to speak on behalf of the Privacy Law Section, but make no mistake, the Section is buoyed by a tremendous group of attorneys and dedicated volunteers who share in their passion for the importance of Privacy law. The Section has accomplished much in its short existence. This past February, we held our first Annual Summit and by all accounts it was an amazing conference attended by practitioners and regulators alike. We established the Privacy Lawyer of the Year Award, recognizing those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of California privacy law. We publish regular privacy news updates and articles about the developments in California privacy and other privacy laws. Our legislative committee actively monitors proposed legislation and submits neutral comments on behalf of the CLA. We have also established an education committee that organizes MCLE programming. I encourage you to join us and help build out the Section for future generations of privacy lawyers. Doing so would make you part of one of the most inclusive, diverse, and rewarding communities of professionals that I have ever had the benefit of working with – the Privacy community.

We are only at the beginning.

Nicholas Ginger
Chair, Executive Committee