With its location in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford Law School provides an ideal forum for students who want to explore the nexus of law, technology, science, and society. And the Stanford Law and Technology Association, for over two decades, has sought to serve these interests by sponsoring speakers and symposia, pushing for additions to the law school curriculum in technology-related areas, and giving guidance to students who want to pursue a legal career in this field.

Founded in 1984, the student-run organization draws on various resources: faculty pursuing scholarship on these subjects; Silicon Valley business leaders; and local law firms specializing in copyright, intellectual property, biotechnology, and patent law.

SLATA-sponsored activities bring to the forefront the thicket of legal questions emerging because of advances in technology. The association's popular "Lunch with the JDs" program invites lawyers practicing in areas such as IP and patent law to campus to talk about their work. "Dinner with the Profs" provides an informal setting for students to hear from professors about their research in challenging new fields. Partnership with the Center for Internet and Society allows us to host speakers addressing a wide range of issues at the intersection of law and technology. SLATA also partners with a variety of law firms and non-profits in the area to bring interesting speakers to campus.

In addition, the association advises Stanford law's administration and information technology department on such matters as the school's technology infrastructure and sponsorship of programs to bring new resources to the law school. SLATA also strives to improve student life through technology by online hosting of student outlines, the SLATA online bookstore, and other projects.

SLATA has a long history of illustrious alumni. Former association members include Kent Walker '87, vice president and general counsel at Google; Marc Rotenberg '87, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and Ivan Fong '87, general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security.