معرفی
Professor Seán O'Connor (they/them) is the inaugural Allen Grubman Chair in Media and Entertainment Law at Brooklyn Law School. Previously, they served as professor of law at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School where they directed the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy (C-IP2) and founded the Innovation Law Clinic. Professor O'Connor also spent 16 years at the University of Washington School of Law leading the Center for Advanced Studies and Research on Intellectual Property (CASRIP) and the IP LL.M. program while designing the pioneering Entrepreneurial Law Clinic.
Professor O'Connor earned their J.D. from Stanford Law School, M.A. in philosophy from Arizona State University, and B.A. in history from the University of Massachusetts. Their educational path uniquely blends legal training with philosophical and historical perspectives, complemented by prior experience as a singer-songwriter and rock band front person.
An expert in entertainment and music law, Professor O'Connor's research focuses on intellectual property and business law for commercializing innovation in technology and arts. Their work spans music law & policy, intellectual property (copyright, patents, trademarks, trade secrets), corporate & securities law, start-up and entrepreneurship law, and biotechnology law. They are author of Method+ology and the Means of Innovation (forthcoming, Oxford University Press, 2025) and editor of the Oxford Handbook on Music Law & Policy (forthcoming, 2025).
Professor O'Connor's scholarly output reveals deep engagement with historical foundations of IP systems while addressing contemporary challenges, particularly at the intersection of law, technology, and creativity. Recent publications increasingly examine AI's impact on traditional legal frameworks, especially in copyright and music law, reflecting evolving scholarly priorities.
- Allen Grubman Chair in Media and Entertainment Law
Professor O'Connor founded and serves as executive director of the Music Ecosystems Institute in Washington, D.C. Their practical experience in the music industry informs innovative teaching approaches and clinical programs. They have designed hands-on legal clinics that provide students with real-world experience in intellectual property and entrepreneurship law, bridging theoretical scholarship with practical application.
