Briefly
Professors/Columbia Law School

Tim Wu

Julius Silver Professor of Law, Science, and Technology

Antitrust LawIntellectual PropertyInternet LawMedia Law

Tim Wu is the Julius Silver Professor of Law, Science, and Technology at Columbia Law School, where he has taught since 2006. He coined the term 'net neutrality' in 2002 and is a leading voice in the revitalization of American antitrust law focused on big tech platforms. In 2021, he served as Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy in the White House. He has also held posts at the Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General's Office.

Teaching Style

Professor Wu brings a big-picture, interdisciplinary perspective to the classroom, drawing on history, economics, and technology to illuminate legal doctrines. He uses a modified Socratic approach that emphasizes policy implications and real-world consequences of legal rules. Cold calls tend to be conversational rather than adversarial, and he encourages students to think about how legal frameworks shape entire industries.

Cold Call Tips

  1. 1Stay current on technology news and antitrust enforcement actions — Wu frequently references breaking developments in class
  2. 2Be prepared to discuss the economic reasoning behind antitrust doctrines, not just the legal tests
  3. 3Read his books or key articles for context on his analytical framework, especially regarding platform monopolies
  4. 4Think about historical parallels when analyzing modern tech regulation — he often draws on the history of AT&T, broadcast media, and other industries

Areas of Expertise

Antitrust and competition policyNet neutrality and internet regulationTechnology and media lawHistory of communications industriesBig tech platform governance

Education

  • J.D., Harvard Law School
  • B.Sc., McGill University

Notable Publications

  • The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age (2018)
  • The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires (2010)
  • The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads (2016)

Research Interests

Platform monopolies and antitrust enforcementNet neutrality and broadband regulationAttention economics and advertising marketsHistory of communications monopoliesTechnology competition policy

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Eben Moglen

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Kathryn Judge

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