The latest episode of Penn State Dickinson Law Profiles in Leadership features Ron Lazebnik, Associate Dean for Administration and Clinical Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law.

With a background spanning engineering, intellectual property practice, clinical legal education, and academic leadership, Ron brings a distinctive perspective to the profession. Our conversation offers insights into the value of experiential learning, the challenges of leading within a law school, and the importance of preparing students for a changing legal landscape.

Well worth watching for anyone interested in legal education, law and technology, and academic leadership.

Thank you, Ron, for sharing your experiences and insights.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/T2ol0c-a0qc

[Conversations at Penn State Dickinson Law]

A busy stretch at Penn State Dickinson Law, with several opportunities to connect with colleagues and visitors.

It was good to finally meet Professor Ola Johan Settem of the University of Stavanger, Norway, during his visit to Carlisle. He works in constitutional law and international human rights and has taken a particular interest in AI and legal education.

Our Research & Innovation Series welcomed Professor Medha Makhlouf for a work-in-progress presentation, “Immigration Enforcement at Health Care Sites: How Law Shapes Immigrant Health Inequities.” I was especially pleased that Professor Jenny Kim, who joined our faculty this fall, introduced her.

Jenny brings extensive experience in immigration litigation, while Medha’s research examines how law shapes immigrants’ access to health care. Their overlapping interests made this a fitting pairing and an opportunity to highlight one of our newest faculty members alongside Medha’s research.

Enjoyed catching up over lunch with Professor Samantha Prince to discuss her research interests and professional development opportunities. It was good to exchange ideas about ways to support her ongoing scholarship.

Delighted to welcome Addison Pumphrey, our new Associate Director of Development, to the Penn State Dickinson Law community. We discussed opportunities to connect my work on strategic partnerships with development and alumni relations.

[The Hidden Copyright Risk in AI Training]

Copyright analysis of AI training often begins too late. By the time a model generates an output, potentially significant decisions about acquiring, copying, transferring, and retaining copyrighted material have already been made.

I explored these issues in my keynote, “The Hidden Copyright Risk in AI Training,” at the IFRRO World Congress 2026 in Bogotá, Colombia. I proposed a four-stage framework, Source, Share, Store, and Stack, for examining the copyright implications of AI data supply chains.

The central argument is that reliable provenance is essential to understanding what uses are authorized, what exceptions may apply, and how licensing and remuneration can operate effectively. The challenge is to identify the relevant acts and apply copyright principles more precisely.

You can find an edited and abridged version of my keynote below.

Thank you to IFRRO, particularly Anita Huss-Ekerhult, Antonios Baris, and Veraliah Bueno, and to our Colombian hosts at CDR for the invitation and hospitality.

I am also grateful to my research collaborators Saige Lim, Jeongwon Jo, and Jihoon Choi, and to LG AI Research for supporting this work.

My recent visits to Hamburg and Beijing were a chance to contribute to international conversations on AI and intellectual property, and to build relationships that benefit Penn State Dickinson Law.

In Hamburg, I spoke at the Bucerius Law School IP Center’s “Data In, Inventions Out?” symposium about AI-assisted invention, then joined a panel at the AIPPI World Congress on human creation with AI. In Beijing, I participated in the Seventh University of California, Berkeley – School of Law– Tsinghua University Conference, where we examined copyright and AI training in an increasingly fragmented legal landscape.

The conversations beyond the panels were just as valuable. I met with Renmin University of China Law Dean Yang Dong and senior university leaders. I also continued discussions with colleagues at Tsinghua University, the University of Science and Technology Beijing, and Berkeley Law.

Meetings with senior executives at Dolby Laboratories and ByteDance brought an industry perspective to these discussions. I also valued exchanges with judges, senior World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO officials, and colleagues in IP publishing.

On the practice side, I met with BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT and KUHNEN & WACKER IP Law Firm, and continued conversations with Fangda Partners and GEN Law Firm. It was equally good to connect with colleagues from Licks Attorneys, King & Wood Mallesons, and ANAND AND ANAND.

Through Dickinson Law’s Intellectual Property Law and Innovation Initiative, we are developing international internship opportunities for our students, including with firms in Germany, China, and India. We are also exploring opportunities for closer academic and professional collaboration.

The trip also offered a chance to reconnect with colleagues involved in the 2027 Intellectual Property Law & Policy Conference, which we co-organize with the Emily C. and John E. Hansen IP Institute at Fordham Law School.

My thanks to everyone who shared their time and ideas. The most rewarding part of these visits is seeing how conversations abroad can open doors for our community at home.

Jing He | Klaus Bacher | Guobin Cui | Rob Merges | John Dubiansky |

A full and rewarding week in Carlisle, capped by Penn State Dickinson Law’s Alumni Weekend.

It was great to spend time with alumni, students, faculty, and staff, including members of the Class of 1976 celebrating their 50th reunion. A highlight was seeing our Dean’s Fellows present tokens to the class. It was a lovely moment between current students and alumni returning to Carlisle fifty years after graduation. Following her remarks, Interim Dean Sarah J. Williams invited staff and faculty to stand and be recognized. Great to see Medha Makhlouf | Lucy Johnston-Walsh | Katherine Pearson | Michele Vollmer | Samantha Prince | Toni Fitzgerald | Amy Shively | Josh Trego | Jessica Seretti | Justin Kulp | Kimberly Plummer

The days leading up to Alumni Weekend brought some good conversations as well. In my Information Privacy Law class, I was delighted to welcome Bo Kim, Head of Legal, Global Regulatory Strategy at TikTok. Bo and I first met when we both spoke at Seoul National University’s Seoul AI Policy Conference this summer, so it was especially satisfying to bring that connection into the classroom. His perspective gave our students a practical sense of how privacy law, technology, regulation, and business decisions come together.

Our students asked thoughtful questions and made the most of the opportunity to engage directly with someone working on these issues every day. I’m looking forward to continuing those conversations this week when Cameron Russell of Mastercard joins us to discuss European privacy law.

I also enjoyed catching up over lunch with longtime colleagues Bill Barker and Jeffrey A. Dodge, and spending time with Katherine Pearson, her sister Margaret, Karlisma Souders, and many others. Kar, our Director of Business Services, has a wide-ranging role in the day-to-day life of our Carlisle location. Her dedication is evident in so much of what happens here, including the work behind events like Alumni Weekend.

A very good week in Carlisle, with plenty of time to catch up with colleagues, students, alumni, and friends.