Ahead Of The Curve
bio
Corruption
Governance
Topic
The Internet
and
more…
AreAs
Cyberlaw
Copyright law
The challenge here is to under-
stand how a system filled with
good people becomes in this
sense corrupt.
Lawrence Lessig
Debate-defining thought leadership
on law and society, business and
governance.
One of America’s most original and influential
public intellectuals. Innovative reformer addressing
‘corruption,’ defined as the inappropriate influence
of money on our institutions. Expert on intellectual
property and copyright law; world-renowned
authority on cyberlaw. Author of five books.
Professor, Harvard Law School. Director,
Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center
for Ethics.
Ahead of the Curve
Leigh Phone 908.253.8600
Bureau Web www.LeighBureau.com
sm
EMail info@LeighBureau.com
W.ColstonLeigh, Inc.
Corruption Copyright & Cyberlaw
Lawrence Lessig
Director, Edmond J. Safra Foundation
Center for Ethics.
Highlights
Law professor Lawrence Lessig is one of the most origi-
nal and influential public intellectuals of our time.
Corruption
His work has recast the very terms of discussion in many
I am interested in non-obvious
areas of the law and he’s had a profound impact on
corruption—instances in which a
wider society, especially on the evolution of the Internet.
decision is improperly and/or subtly
National Law Journal has twice named him to their list of
influenced by an actor’s antici-
100 Most Influential Lawyers.
pation of some sort of indirect
For much of his career, Larry Lessig has focused on law
economic gain or loss.
and technology, especially as it affects copyright and the
Many of our institutions have become
Internet—he is the leading expert on ’cyberlaw.’
corrupt, argues Larry Lessig, not in
the sense that someone is paying
Lessig has written five books on these topics, argued a
someone else off for a favor, but
landmark case before the U.S. Supreme Court, testi-
rather, where decision-makers
fied before Congress, and won numerous awards.
routinely face incentives to favor
He was a professor at Stanford Law School, founder
interests other than those they claim
of the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, and
to be advancing—or should be advanc-
cofounder of Creative Commons.
ing. The incentives are legal, even
considered normal; the actions of
Now Lawrence Lessig has begun a new career, with a new
favoritism are legal, even expected.
focus on governance and corruption, by which he means
But the incentives and actions are
the corruptive influence of money on our institutions.
wrong, nonetheless.
He speaks on what corruption has become and what we
This happens in business, in academic
can do about it—how an economy of influence develops
and corporate research, and, of
around money to produce incentives which shouldn’t be
course, in government. Lessig became
where they are.
interested in this form of corruption
He has moved to Harvard Law School and is the new
when advancing the cause of fair
director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for
copyright law, where he saw that
governments consistently ignored the
Ethics, where he will lead a five-year study of money’s
easy case for sane copyright law and
influence on institutional decisions.
got it wrong. Why, he asked? Because
Larry also has created a Wiki on corruption and
of the inappropriate influence of
cofounded Change Congress, a nonprofit dedicated to
money.
keeping big money out of politics. He serves on the
boards of MAPLight.org and the Sunlight Foundation.
Lawrence Lessig is professor of law at Harvard Law School
Credentials
and director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center
for Ethics. Scientific American has named him to their list
Professor, Harvard Law School
of Top 50 Visionaries. He blogs at lessig.org/blog/.
Director, Edmond J. Safra Foundation
Center for Ethics, Harvard University
Formerly, Professor Stanford Law
School
Leigh
Former founder, Stanford Center for
Internet and Society
Fellow, Academy of Arts and Sciences
Bureausm
and the American Philosophical
Society
W.ColstonLeigh, Inc.
92 East Main Street Suite 200 Somerville, New Jersey 08876
Phone.908.253.8600 Web. www.LeighBureau.com
