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Mason Kortz is a clinical instructor at the Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic, where he supervises students working at the intersection of law, technology, and social justice. His interests include digital speech and privacy, algorithmic decision-making, and government transparency. He is slowly learning to love intellectual property.

Mason has previously worked as a data manager for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, a legal fellow in the Technology for Liberty Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, and a clerk in the District of Massachusetts. He has a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA in Computer Science and Philosophy from Dartmouth College. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, game design, and playing the drums.


Projects & Tools

Algorithms and Justice

The use of algorithms in the judiciary has already raised significant questions about bias and fairness, and looking ahead the moral questions become even more challenging.

Past

AI: Transparency and Explainability

There are many ways to hold AI systems accountable. We focus on issues related to obtaining human-intelligible and human-actionable information.


Publications

Publication
Feb 9, 2018

Follow-up Letter to the Members of the Massachusetts Legislature Regarding the Adoption of Actuarial Risk Assessment Tools in the Criminal Justice System

The following open letter — signed by Harvard and MIT-based faculty, staff, and researchers — is directed to the Massachusetts Legislature to inform its consideration of risk…

Publication
Nov 27, 2017

Accountability of AI Under the Law: The Role of Explanation

The paper reviews current societal, moral, and legal norms around explanations, and then focuses on the different contexts under which an explanation is currently required under…


News

News
Aug 27, 2020

Cyberlaw Clinic weighs in on warrantless device searches at the US border

Mason Kortz discusses an amicus brief filed on behalf of the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic

News
Jun 11, 2019

Artificial Intelligence in Society

A broad overview of the technical, economic, political, and social landscapes of AI, including its positive and negative impacts

News
Mar 20, 2018

AI is more powerful than ever. How do we hold it accountable?

Trying to understand advanced AI is like trying to understand the inner workings of another person’s mind.


Community

Harvard Law Today

ChatNYT

Cyberlaw Clinic Instructor Mason Kortz discusses the legal arguments, possible resolutions, and potential implications of the NYT v. OpenAI lawsuit.

Mar 22, 2024
Cyberlaw Clinic

How to Read a Docket

Mason Kortz and Kendra Albert explain how to read a court docket in a free guide

Jul 29, 2021
Medium

Q&A: Misinformation and Coronavirus

We asked members of Berkman Klein’s Misinformation Working Group their thoughts about misinformation and the virus.

Jan 30, 2020
The Cyberlaw Clinic

Clinic Files Amicus Brief Arguing for Broader Access to Government Databases Through FOIA

Providing aggregate data access to media professionals

Mar 29, 2019
WGBH

In Suing Boston, AirBNB Argues It's Not Responsible For Illegal Listings

AirBnB may be exempt from a local ordinance regulating local short-term rentals by way of the Communications Decency Act

Dec 31, 2018
Law360

Harvard Cyberlaw Clinic Backs Airbnb In Rowdy Guest Suit

Our Cyberlaw Clinic has urged the Ninth Circuit court not to touch a lower court decision ending a corporate landlord's lawsuit accusing Airbnb of helping tenants break building…

Sep 28, 2018

Courses

Cyberlaw Clinic Seminar - Spring 2024

This seminar is required for all students enrolled in the Cyberlaw Clinic. The course incorporates instruction about substantive legal issues at the heart of the Clinic’s practice…

Cyberlaw Clinic Seminar - Fall 2023

This seminar is required for all students enrolled in the Cyberlaw Clinic. The course incorporates instruction about substantive legal issues at the heart of the Clinic’s practice…

Cyberlaw Clinic Seminar - Fall 2022

This seminar is required for all students enrolled in the Cyberlaw Clinic. The course incorporates instruction about substantive legal issues at the heart of the Clinic's practice…

Cyberlaw Clinic Seminar - Fall 2020

Professor Christopher Bavitz, Mason Kortz, Jessica Fjeld This seminar is required for all students enrolled in the Cyberlaw Clinic. The course incorporates instruction about…


Events

Event
Apr 13, 2023 @ 4:00 PM

Student Salon Series: Balancing AI Innovation and Regulation - what is the role of AI auditing at the time of ChatGPTs arms race?

Join us on April 13, for the Berkman Klein Center’s second Student Salon Series event, Balancing AI Innovation and Regulation -- what is the role of AI auditing at the time of…

Event
Nov 2, 2021 @ 12:00 PM

Accounting for AI — a Comparison of Methods

VIDEO: Join the discussion about the pros and cons of different methods of holding AI accountable...

Mar 25, 2020 @ 1:30 PM

[Canceled] Cyberlaw Clinic @ 20

Symposium on Lawyering, Tech, and the Public Interest

This event has been canceled but may be rescheduled.

Event
May 22, 2018 @ 12:00 PM

Art that Imitates Art

Computational Creativity and Creative Contracting

Copyright in AI-generated works, the need for a shared understanding of what is and isn’t up for grabs in a license, and how forward-thinking contracts can prevent AI developers…