Jack Bernard

Jack Bernard is a Lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School and Associate General Counsel in the University of Michigan’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, where he has worked since 1999. He teaches at the Law School, School of Information, School of Education, Ford School of Public Policy, and Ross School of Business.

• Education: MA in Higher Education and JD from the University of Michigan.

Bernard specializes in intellectual property, First Amendment, student rights, academic freedom, privacy, security, computing and cyber law, media rights, transactional work, and disability law. His work focuses on balancing legal frameworks with academic needs, particularly in digital rights and accessibility.

He has received numerous accolades, including the L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award, the First Decade Award, and the Neubacher Award. His advocacy for open access and fair use in educational resources has significantly impacted U-M’s copyright initiatives.

• Leadership Roles: Chair of U-M’s Council for Disability Concerns; Board member of the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor.

As the lead copyright lawyer for the University of Michigan, Bernard successfully defended the establishment of HathiTrust and ensured accessibility for print-disabled individuals in the Google Book Search project. He continues to promote the Open Access movement and fair use analyses in educational resource development.