Privacy Law Section

By the end of its 2023-24 session, the California Legislature passed, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law 17 artificial intelligence (“AI”) bills. While California may have won the race for most U.S. state AI bills to become law, it is not the first jurisdiction to attempt to tackle these issues. The European Union’s (“EU”) AI Act and Colorado’s AI Act both beat California to the punch and are arguably far more sweeping and comprehensive in their approach to AI regulation and risk assessment. Read more

Politico described Michael Macko, head of enforcement at the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), as “one of the most powerful privacy enforcers in the U.S.”[1] It’s easy to see why. Between launching investigative sweeps into the practices of the connected vehicle and data broker industries, managing open privacy investigations in the “double digits and growing,” bringing multiple enforcement actions, and publishing Enforcement Advisories, the CPPA’s Enforcement Division has been busy. The CPPA is building its reputation as one of the most formidable privacy regulators in the nation, or perhaps the world. Read more

By Elaine F. Harwell and Yulian Kolarov Over the last couple of years, as privacy has become increasingly important to consumers, courts and companies have seen a significant increase in privacy litigation. In this article, we will look at some of the notable data privacy-related litigation trends of the last year, including under California state law claims based on the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”) and the Investigative Consumer Reporting Agency Act (“ICRAA”), federal statutory claims, including the Video Privacy… Read more

Welcome to the Second Edition of the Privacy Law Section’s Annual Journal. For the second year in a row, we have put together a collection of articles offering insight, perspectives, and hopefully clarity, on issues foremost on the minds of privacy attorneys. In my introduction last year, I referenced the rapid development of the privacy landscape that had occurred since our Section’s inception. Those developments have only quickened in their pace, and as we head into the beginning of a new Administration, it is anyone’s guess what we can expect on the federal level over the next four years. Clearly, when it comes to privacy, there is still much to be seen. Read more

On December 13, 2025, the California Board of Legal Specialization (CBLS) voted to approve a new Legal Specialization in Privacy Law. This is the culmination of a process that the State Bar of California initiated in November 2022 by establishing a Consulting Group on the Establishment of a Legal Specialization in Privacy Law (Privacy Law Group). Appointed by the State Bar of California, the 13-member Privacy Law Group was tasked with studying the practice area to assess whether there is sufficient need and interest to create a specialty, as well as whether the area is sufficiently defined as to create a useful specialization. The Privacy Law Group determined that certification in this area of law is feasible and appropriate and presented draft certification standards for review by the CBLS and the State Bar Board of Trustees. Read more

California Lawyers Association’s (CLA) Privacy Law Section is hosting its Third Annual Privacy Summit in Los Angeles on February 27-28, 2025, at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. This two-day event will cover a comprehensive range of issues impacting legal professionals practicing privacy law. Participants may earn up to 11 hours of MCLE, including 3 hours of Technology in the practice of law. Read more

We are excited to announce that Daniel M. Goldberg has been selected as the 2025 California Privacy Lawyer of the Year! Daniel is a highly respected leader in privacy law, and this recognition highlights his significant contributions to the industry. Read more

The Privacy Law Section is excited to host the Third Annual Privacy Summit at the beautiful UCLA Luskin Center facilities in West Los Angeles on February 27 and 28, 2025. The previous two years were sold out events with over 200 privacy professionals in attendance. We expect the same enthusiasm for privacy this year, if not more! Schedule | Pricing |  Sponsor | Sponsorship | Register Today Due to popular request, the student sponsorship, priced at $500 per sponsorship, can now be sponsored anonymously! Please… Read more

We are pleased to offer law students a chance to attend the 2025 Annual Privacy Summit through a scholarship program. Students can submit their resumes for consideration to receive a scholarship sponsored by a generous sponsor, covering the costs of admission to the event. This is a unique opportunity to engage with privacy law professionals and network with industry leaders. Schedule | Pricing |  Sponsor | Sponsorship | Register Today Deadline: February 14th, 2025 Eligibility: Open to law students, with recent graduates considered… Read more

We're back in Los Angeles for the Third Annual Privacy Summit! Read more