Dayton Docket

Today what a few clicks might do, several years ago took a journey of thousands of miles to set in motion.

A University of Dayton School of Law professor on a visit to Argentina sat-in on a university class being taught by Pablo Iannello.

A few months later Iannello was offered an opportunity to be an Adjunct Professor at UDSL. For the last 10 years he’s taught at the School of Law during the spring semester when it’s summer break in Argentina.

Now he’s taking over as director of the Program In Law and Technology (PILT).

And he believes the ability for someone from across the world to fully experience his class today, without the long trip, can help PILT expand its international reach.

“IP and law and technology are areas that are easy to internationalize,” Iannello says. “And now we have this technology that allows us to connect in an easy way.”

Aside from making it easier to connect, the rapid pace of technological change is also creating opportunities for lawyers when it comes to rules governing the latest innovations.

“Technology is everywhere,” Iannello says. “This is a huge improvement for humanity, but it also comes with challenges when it comes to regulation and dealing with all this change.”

Iannello wants PILT to work closely with the School of Law’s Online LL.M. program, which allows students to earn a master’s in law from anywhere in the world.

“There’s a synergy you can create there,” Iannello says.

He also wants to increase the number of events held by PILT, starting with a conference on emerging technologies that’s being planned for this fall. 

Above all, Iannello wants to carry on PILT’s legacy of innovation that can be traced all the way back to 1989 when it was started as one of the first programs of its kind in the country.

“All of the previous PILT directors have made so many contributions,” Iannello says. “My aim is to continue that.”