Catherine Crump is the Robert Glushko Clinical Professor of Practice in Technology Law at UC Berkeley School of Law and Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic. A leading expert on the intersection of civil liberties and emerging technologies, she has written and litigated extensively on government surveillance, privacy, and criminal justice reform. She also serves as faculty Co-Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology.
Professor Crump previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Criminal Justice to the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she helped lead the implementation of key federal initiatives on policing and public safety. Earlier in her career, she was a staff attorney at the ACLU, where she litigated landmark cases on electronic surveillance and testified before Congress, the European Parliament, and multiple state legislatures.
Her scholarly work has appeared in flagship law reviews, and she is a frequent commentator in national media outlets, with her writing appearing in The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. A TED Fellow and recipient of Stanford Law School’s Miles L. Rubin Public Interest Award, Professor Crump is widely recognized for her commitment to using law and technology to advance transparency, accountability, and justice.
Education
B.A., Stanford University (2000)
J.D., Stanford Law School (2004)
Catherine Crump is teaching the following courses in Spring 2026:
• 285.9 sec. 001 - Samuelson Clinic Seminar
• 285.9B sec. 001 - Advanced Samuelson Clinic Seminar
• 295.5T sec. 001 - Samuelson Clinic
• 295.5U sec. 001 - Advanced Samuelson Clinic
Courses During Other Semesters
| Semester | Course Num | Course Title |  Teaching Evaluations | Fall 2025 | 285.9 sec. 001 | Samuelson Clinic Seminar | View Teaching Evaluation | 295.5T sec. 001 | Samuelson Clinic | View Teaching Evaluation | 295.5U sec. 001 | Advanced Samuelson Clinic | Spring 2025 | 285.9 sec. 001 | Samuelson Clinic Seminar | View Teaching Evaluation | 295.5T sec. 001 | Samuelson Clinic | View Teaching Evaluation | 295.5U sec. 001 | Advanced Samuelson Clinic | View Teaching Evaluation |
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Agencies Seek Reversal in FOIA Suit Over Trump Administration Vetting at US Border
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, arguing before the Second Circuit on behalf of the plaintiffs in Knight First Amendment Institute v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, said that the Trump Administration’s alleged “ideological screening” of immigrants and refugees at the border included questions that were too widely asked and general
Teaching Tech: Berkeley Law Clinic Arms Public Defenders with Digital Tools
The Samuelson Clinic’s Megan Graham has trained more than 1,000 public defenders in three years on how to litigate cutting-edge technology issues.
Oakland police give FBI “unfettered access” to license plate reader data, according to lawsuit
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, discusses a lawsuit filed by a member of the city’s privacy advisory commission accusing police of violating multiple city and state laws
From Harvard to Berkeley, Clinics Train Next-Gen Tech Lawyers
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, discusses the clinic’s work and the beneficial experience of clinic work for students, whether their goals are to work in public interest or the private sector
Is there any way out of Clearview’s facial recognition database?
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, says facial recognition technology and analytics generally have been revolutionary because they’ve put an end to privacy by obscurity
When It Comes To Email, Some Prisoners Say Attorney-Client Privilege Has Been Erased
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, discusses the clinic’s work to stop the federal Bureau of Prisons from reading emails incarcerated persons send to their attorneys
Clinical Professor Jennifer Urban ’00 to Chair New California Privacy Protection Agency
A longtime leader in Berkeley Law’s tech-law clinic and center, Urban will help the innovative agency protect consumers’ privacy rights over their personal information.
As a New Administration Dawns, Berkeley Law Professors Propose How to Tame Privacy Inequalities
Professors Catherine Crump and Rebecca Wexler translate some of their scholarly work on electronic evidence and surveillance technology into policy guides.
Response To Capitol Riot Could Hurt Minorities, Civil Libertarians Say
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, says law enforcement should not use facial recognition technology widely until racial disparities are fixed
Op-Ed: Lawyers can’t visit clients in prison, so quit monitoring their emails
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, along with Ken White, writes that the Federal Bureau of Prisons should end its unjust policy of requiring inmates to “voluntarily” waive privilege in emails they send to their attorneys through the bureau-provided email system
Police are using protests as an excuse to unleash new surveillance tech
Catherine Crump, director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, explains that while police have a right to monitor protest activity, a line must be drawn when that surveillance becomes oppressive
Op-Ed: Stop monitoring emails between inmates and their lawyers
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, along with Ken White, calls for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to stop forcing inmates to “voluntarily” waive all claims to confidentiality in emails they send their lawyers through the BOP-provided email system
FBI Use of Google Search Data Raises Privacy Questions
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, explains why government requests for Google data should raise major privacy concerns
Q&A: Cameras, Police, the Dangers of a Constantly Monitored Society
Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, discusses the technological and legal implications of the Ring device, and the significance of this new third-party surveillance.
Oakland Adopts Privacy Principles Drafted By Berkeley Law Students
The principles provide concrete guidance for city staff to better protect residents’ personal information.
Branching Out: Berkeley Law Tech Clinic Expands into Criminal Justice Arena
As technology transforms how criminal cases are prosecuted, the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic helps defense attorneys scrutinize the evidence presented against their clients.
Berkeley Law Clinics Host First Convening on Electronic Monitoring of Youth
More than 50 researchers, public defenders, journalists, activists, and impacted young people probed the role of GPS tracking in juvenile court.
Clinic Presses Government to Release Documents About Prison Email Monitoring
Prison employees can monitor the contents of inmate email messages—including those to or from their attorneys.
Shelby Nacino ’18, Alison Ganem ’18 Honored for Stellar Clinical Advocacy
The students were hailed for their work ethic and legal acumen at Berkeley Law’s East Bay Community Law Center and Death Penalty Clinic, respectively.
New Report Faults California’s Electronic Monitoring of Youth
A new report analyzes juvenile electronic monitoring programs across California.