Goodwin Program for Society, Technology, and the Law

Three separate but deeply interconnected trends are challenging the foundation of civil society. The rapid transformation of new technology, environmental challenges, and public health management are among the most significant challenges today, and these require thoughtful public policy proposals derived from strong academic research. To meet this need, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law has launched a new, multidisciplinary effort to provide academic scholarship, legal education, and skills training in these areas. The new initiative is named the Goodwin Program for Society, Technology, and the Law, which will operate under the leadership of its inaugural director, Jon M. Garon. The term “society” highlights that legal and economic changes in these areas raise critical concerns regarding equity, equality, and access since it is axiomatic that as the future becomes the present, it is never evenly distributed. The Goodwin Program will foster meaningful scholarship and dialogue on the most significant areas of regional and international change. These include issues of public health and disparate access to health care; climate change and ecological stressors; new and evolving forms of technology, media and communication; the scope and shape of effective regulation; and the impact on the knowledge, skills, and values essential to the practice of law. The program builds upon the existing J.D. Concentrations in Health Law and in Cybersecurity, Technology, and Intellectual Property Law as well as the longstanding emphasis in Environmental Law and collaboration with the NSU Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center. It affords students in NSU Law’s B.S. in Law, J.D., and LL.M. programs the opportunity to engage in skills training, coursework, and innovative research. These include CLEs, academic conferences, student events, funded research studies, and new course offerings for attorneys seeking additional training and knowledge.