Alex Joel

Alex Joel serves as Senior Project Director and Resident Adjunct Professor at American University Washington College of Law, where he leads the Privacy Across Borders research initiative within the Tech, Law & Security Program. His expertise spans privacy law, national security law, technology regulation, and intellectual property frameworks.

Professor Joel's educational background includes:

• J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1987 (magna cum laude)
• B.A., Princeton University, 1984 (magna cum laude)

His research examines critical intersections between legal systems, national security imperatives, and technological evolution, with particular focus on cross-border data governance challenges. The Privacy Across Borders initiative drives this work through policy analysis and international stakeholder engagement.

Professor Joel brings extensive operational experience from 14 years as Civil Liberties Protection Officer at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where he concurrently served as Chief Transparency Officer from 2015-2019. His pre-government career included technology law practice at Shaw Pittman and privacy leadership at Marriott International.

His professional engagement includes:

• Emeritus Fellow status at IAPP (previously Board of Directors)
• Advisory roles at Future of Privacy Forum and Software Information Industry Association
• Special Advisor position with ABA’s Standing Committee on Law & National Security

The Privacy Across Borders initiative operates as an interdisciplinary hub connecting legal scholarship with real-world policy implementation in global privacy governance.