Cindy Cohn
About Cindy Cohn
Cindy Cohn serves as the Legal Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a position she has held since 2000. She is recognized for her influential work in technology law and has received multiple awards for her contributions to First Amendment rights and intellectual property.
Work at Electronic Frontier Foundation
Cindy Cohn has served as the Legal Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) since 2000. In this role, she has been instrumental in advocating for civil liberties in the digital world. Cohn's work focuses on issues related to privacy, free expression, and innovation. Under her leadership, EFF has engaged in significant legal battles and policy initiatives that shape the intersection of technology and law.
Education and Expertise
Cindy Cohn earned her Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Michigan Law School, where she studied from 1986 to 1989. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English at the University of Iowa from 1982 to 1986. Additionally, she has pursued studies at the London School of Economics. Cohn's educational background provides a strong foundation for her expertise in law, particularly in areas concerning intellectual property and First Amendment rights.
Background
Cindy Cohn has a diverse academic and professional background that informs her legal practice. She studied English at the University of Iowa and later attended the University of Michigan Law School. Cohn has been involved in significant legal cases, including serving as the outside lead attorney in Bernstein v. Dept. of Justice, which challenged U.S. export restrictions on cryptography. Her work has consistently focused on protecting civil liberties in the context of technology.
Achievements
Cindy Cohn has received multiple recognitions for her contributions to law and technology. In 2007, she was recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the 50 most influential women lawyers in America. She was named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the same publication in 2013. Cohn also received the Intellectual Property Vanguard Award from the State Bar of California in 2010 and the James Madison Freedom of Information Award in 2012 from the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2018, Forbes named her one of America's Top 50 Women in Tech.