Neil Richards

Neil Richards is a Professor at Washington University School of Law, holding the Koch Distinguished Professorship. He co-directs the Cordell Institute for Policy in Medicine & Law and is affiliated with the Stanford Center for Internet and Society and Yale Information Society Project. His expertise spans privacy law, information law, and technology governance. He serves on the board of the Future of Privacy Forum and is a Fellow at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Education:

• Graduate degrees in Law and History from the University of Virginia (1997)
• Law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Judge Paul V. Niemeyer

Research Focus: Explores the legal and ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies, particularly data privacy, free speech in the digital age, and the regulation of information-driven systems. His work bridges academic scholarship and public discourse, with publications in outlets like Harvard Law Review and popular media such as The Guardian and WIRED.

Awards & Recognition:

• Past recipient of Washington University School of Law’s Professor of the Year award

Professional Roles: Advises on privacy cases, lectures globally, and contributes to policy initiatives. His book Intellectual Privacy (Oxford, 2015) and upcoming Why Privacy Matters (2021) solidify his reputation as a thought leader in privacy advocacy.

Labs & Initiatives: Leads the Cordell Institute, focusing on interdisciplinary policy solutions at the intersection of medicine and law.