Established in January 2001, the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at UC Berkeley Law was the first clinic in the nation to provide law students with the opportunity to represent the public interest in sound technology policy through client advocacy and participation in legislative, regulatory, litigation and technical standard setting activities. Since its founding, the Samuelson Clinic has been extremely successful in a broad range of matters in the digital realm, working with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and legislators, and academic researchers across a variety of issues touching on technology including free speech, privacy, intellectual property, electronic commerce, voting systems, open source software and the life sciences.

Today, the Samuelson Clinic offers law students the unparalleled opportunity to learn about lawyering, government institutions and the complexities involved in technology-related law, while representing individuals, nonprofits, and consumer groups that could not otherwise obtain counsel on these legal issues. Through the clinic, students counsel small and large clients; file amicus briefs; comment on proposed legislation and regulations; produce guidelines on new and emerging technologies; conduct cutting-edge research, often in conjunction with non-profits, experts, or graduate students from other disciplines on campus; and most importantly, provide legal assistance on important issues related to law and technology such as biotech, copyright, privacy, free speech, electronic voting, patent reform, etc.