Lorena Flórez Rojas is an Assistant Professor in Technology Law at the Faculty of Law, and teaches in both our English taught LLB and Technology Law and Innovation LLM programmes. We've asked her a few questions below to learn more about her academic profile and perspectives on the courses and programmes that she teaches within the Faculty.

What is your specific academic background, and what are your research interests?

I am a Colombian lawyer, currently working as an Assistant Professor in Technology Law at the University of Groningen within the STeP research group. I am a Ph.D. Cum Laude from the program of Individual Person and Legal Protections at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Italy, and did my master’s degree in Law and Technology at Tilburg University here in The Netherlands.

I am fascinated by the newest technologies and the way that they affect consumers and the market in general. I worked previously as an Assistant Professor of Private Law at Los Andes University in Bogotá, Colombia, where I taught commercial law, securities law, law and technology, law for non-lawyers, data protection, and digital platforms. Finally, my research interests are aligned within the topics of lawtech, fintech, and legal design.

Do you currently work on any specific research projects?

I was appointed as an Assistant Professor last December so for now I am working on some LLB courses and helping with the new Technology Law and Innovation LLM, which will start September 2023. However, my current research focuses on Deceptive Digital Marketing Practices and the application of design thinking methodologies to improve consumers rights online.

What courses do you teach within the Faculty?

I teach within the courses: i) Research Seminar in the LLB Technology Law track; ii) Introduction to Technology Law; iii) Consumers and Innovation.

What do you enjoy teaching about these courses?

What I appreciate most about teaching is demonstrating the diversity and multidisciplinary nature of attorneys practicing law and technology. I aim to show to students that lawyers can explore other areas and enrich their knowledge with other abilities. I like showing them how to use various digital tools and how to employ different communication techniques based on their audience. I constantly try to motivate my students so that they not only have legal knowledge but can also use it in real-life circumstances and explain it in the simplest way possible by leveraging other fields of study, such as design.

How are the programmes you teach in unique compared to similar programmes elsewhere? 

In my opinion, something unique about the programs here is the co-teaching factor. This is the first time I am immersed in programs that use this teaching methodology and I am still learning. For me it was challenging to understand that the same course has different academic staff behind it. Also, the fact that the classes are in blocks has been an interesting change since I was always exposed to classes for a whole semester. All the changes are interesting challenges that only improve and test the teaching methodologies.

What career prospects do you think there could be for students who pursue careers in your specific legal field of expertise?

In my opinion, a Law and Technology lawyer has an interdisciplinary and practical conception of the role of technology through Law; it is a professional with a rigorous and solid legal preparation to identify susceptible problems between the intersection of law, technology, and society in interdisciplinary contexts. Thus, having experience working on the intersections of law and technology, I can assure that new industries are searching for lawyers capable of applying viable legal solutions to the implications of disruptive technologies with a sense of ethics and social responsibility. Some of the career prospects for Technology lawyers are:

• Consulting on the implementation of data protection and privacy policies. This could include positions such as CISO (Chief Information Security Officer), Personal Data Protection and Compliance Officer, or Chief Privacy Officer of an organization.
• Advising on, and accompanying, the implementation of data processing regulations for public or private entities.
• Advising on the implementation of technological programmes and applications applied to the legal industry (legaltech).
• Public policy advising on the regulation of new technologies (regtech).

Do you have any advice for students interested in pursuing your same field of legal expertise?

The best advice I can give to the students who decide to pursue technology law is to always try and test the technologies talked about in this field to get a broader view, as well as being willing to enter into a multidisciplinary dialogue to understand the different views on the same point. Being open to listening to the entrepreneur, the user, the developer, and the legislator will always be a good strategy to become immersed in discussions about the implications that technology has both on law and society.

- Interview by: Dr. Chris Brennan, Marketing Advisor, Faculty of Law

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