Pitt School of Law to Host 2011 Edgar M. Snyder Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture Nov. 15

PITTSBURGH—Rick Klau, a partner at Google Ventures, will deliver the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s 2011 Edgar M. Snyder Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Pitt Barco Law Building’s Teplitz Memorial Courtroom, 3900 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Klau’s free public talk is titled “From Novelty to Necessity: How the Internet Is Reshaping What It Means to Communicate and How the Law Can Keep Up.” He will discuss how people around the world are using new technologies to communicate and will address the legal implications of these emerging technologies. Klau also will take audience questions.

At Google Ventures, Klau is responsible for leading Startup University. He previously was a product manager at Google, where he led initiatives on Blogger, Google+, and YouTube. Klau’s earlier professional experience includes leadership roles at several software and Internet start-ups. He was an early employee of FeedBurner, where he ran the publisher services team until Google acquired the company in 2007.

Klau received dual degrees in French and international affairs from Lafayette College, and, while a student at the University of Richmond School of Law, founded the Richmond Journal of Law & Technology, the world’s first student-edited law journal to publish exclusively online. He serves on the board of the Richmond School of Law Alumni Association.

Klau has provided technology advice to three U.S. presidential campaigns, ran the campaign weblog for President Barack Obama in his 2004 U.S. Senate race, and ran product strategy for, and managed Google’s presence at, the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

The Pitt law school’s Distinguished Visiting Scholar Program was created in 2006 by Pittsburgh attorney Edgar M. Snyder’s wife, Pitt alumnus Sandy Snyder (EDUC ’70, A&S ’70, EDUC ’74G, KGSB ’78), to honor her husband’s 40 years of service to the legal profession through his personal injury law firm, Edgar Snyder & Associates; Edgar M. Snyder graduated from the Pitt School of Law in 1966. The program invites visiting practitioners and scholars to address topics beneficial to Pitt students and faculty. The scholars’ focus is to emphasize ethical aspects of the legal profession or their field of expertise, with the goal of enriching knowledge and understanding of these issues.

The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Board has approved this course for one hour of CLE ethics credit. For CLE credit, pay at the door with a check for $25 made payable to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

For more information, call 412-648-1305.

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