Orin Kerr
Encyclopedia
Orin S. Kerr is a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School, legal representation for the MySpace "cyber bullying" pioneer Lori Drew
and a leading scholar in the subjects of computer crime law
and internet surveillance. In the fall of 2006, he visited as an associate professor at the University of Chicago Law School
. He is one of the contributors to the The Volokh Conspiracy
blog. In March 2006, he began his own legal blog, OrinKerr.com. He suspended posting to his blog in September 2006.
Kerr was born in 1971 in New York
, graduated from Tower Hill School
in Wilmington, Delaware
, received his B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University
, where he distinguished himself in linear algebra. He received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University
, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School
. From 1998 to 2001, he was employed as an Honors Program trial attorney in the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
.
Before joining the faculty at The George Washington University Law School
, Kerr served as a law clerk for Judge Leonard I. Garth
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He later took a leave of absence from the law school to clerk for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy
of the United States Supreme Court during October Term 2003.
Kerr supported former Tennessee
Senator Fred Thompson in the 2008 presidential election
. On June 5, 2009, he announced that he had accepted a position as Special Counsel on Supreme Court Nominations to Senator John Cornyn
, where he would advise on the confirmation proceedings for Sonia Sotomayor
.
Kerr's blog contributions at Volokh Conspiracy often focus on developments in internet privacy law and has recently emerged as a leading scholar on Fourth Amendment jurisprudence in electronic communications and surveillance. Kerr was repeatedly cited in the Ninth Circuit's recent opinion Quon v. Arch Wireless Operating Co., Inc., which held that users have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the content of text messages and e-mails. The Supreme Court later took up the case, as Ontario v. Quon
, and unanimously reversed.
United States v. Lori Drew
United States v. Lori Drew was a criminal case in which Lori Drew was convicted and then subsequently acquitted of violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act over the "cyber-bullying" of a 13 year old, Megan Meier...
and a leading scholar in the subjects of computer crime law
Computer crime
Computer crime, or cybercrime, refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. Netcrime refers to criminal exploitation of the Internet. Such crimes may threaten a nation’s security and financial health...
and internet surveillance. In the fall of 2006, he visited as an associate professor at the University of Chicago Law School
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
. He is one of the contributors to the The Volokh Conspiracy
The Volokh Conspiracy
The Volokh Conspiracy is a blog which mostly covers United States legal and political issues, generally from a libertarian or conservative perspective. One of the most widely read legal blogs in the United States, The Volokh Conspiracy has more than one million page views each month. This group...
blog. In March 2006, he began his own legal blog, OrinKerr.com. He suspended posting to his blog in September 2006.
Kerr was born in 1971 in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, graduated from Tower Hill School
Tower Hill School
Tower Hill School is a private, college preparatory school located at 2813 West 17th Street in Wilmington, Delaware, offering instruction for pre-school through 12th grade. The school was founded in 1919 on the basis of commitment to progressive education methods. It has an excellent academic...
in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, received his B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he distinguished himself in linear algebra. He received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. From 1998 to 2001, he was employed as an Honors Program trial attorney in the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division develops, enforces, and supervises the application of all federal criminal laws in the United States, except those specifically assigned to other divisions. Criminal Division attorneys prosecute many nationally significant cases and formulate and...
.
Before joining the faculty at The George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School, commonly referred to as GW Law, is the law school of The George Washington University. It was founded in 1825 and is the oldest law school in Washington, D.C. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the...
, Kerr served as a law clerk for Judge Leonard I. Garth
Leonard I. Garth
Judge Leonard I. Garth is a senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.Garth was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated with a bachelor of arts from Columbia University in 1942. He served during World War II as a United States Army Lieutenant from 1943 to 1946...
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He later took a leave of absence from the law school to clerk for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy
Anthony Kennedy
Anthony McLeod Kennedy is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, having been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Since the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, Kennedy has often been the swing vote on many of the Court's politically charged 5–4 decisions...
of the United States Supreme Court during October Term 2003.
Kerr supported former Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
Senator Fred Thompson in the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. On June 5, 2009, he announced that he had accepted a position as Special Counsel on Supreme Court Nominations to Senator John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
, where he would advise on the confirmation proceedings for Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
.
Kerr's blog contributions at Volokh Conspiracy often focus on developments in internet privacy law and has recently emerged as a leading scholar on Fourth Amendment jurisprudence in electronic communications and surveillance. Kerr was repeatedly cited in the Ninth Circuit's recent opinion Quon v. Arch Wireless Operating Co., Inc., which held that users have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the content of text messages and e-mails. The Supreme Court later took up the case, as Ontario v. Quon
Ontario v. Quon
Ontario v. Quon, sometimes cited as City of Ontario v. Quon, 560 U.S. ___ , is a United States Supreme Court case concerning the extent to which the right to privacy applies to electronic communications in a government workplace...
, and unanimously reversed.
External links
- Video debate/discussion with Kerr and Marty LedermanMarty LedermanMartin "Marty" S. Lederman is a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel , appointed by President Obama in January 2009. He previously served as an Attorney Advisor in OLC from 1994 to 2002...
on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers... - Orin Kerr says online privacy has gone too far in the Harvard Law RecordHarvard Law RecordThe Harvard Law Record is an independent, biweekly student-edited newspaper based at Harvard Law School. Founded in 1946, it is the oldest law school newspaper in the United States.-Characteristics:...