The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) School of Law will host its Fourth Annual Law & Technology Summit on Oct. 17, 2025, at the Durham Convention Center. Presented by the NCCU Technology Law and Policy Center, the summit brings together legal practitioners, scholars, policymakers and industry leaders to explore today’s rapidly evolving intersection of law, technology and society.
This year’s event offers both in-person and online attendance options and will deliver practical insights on pressing issues such as artificial intelligence, data privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property and other emerging technology-related legal challenges. Panels and discussions will feature national thought leaders providing real-world perspectives.
A highlight of the summit will be the keynote address by Roy L. Austin Jr., inaugural director of the Howard University School of Law Artificial Intelligence Initiative and former vice president and deputy general counsel at Meta.
Austin’s distinguished career spans private practice, government service and academia. Before joining Howard University, he served as a partner at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP and McDermott Will & Emery, focusing on criminal defense, civil litigation and civil rights matters. Earlier, as an honors trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, he investigated and prosecuted cases involving hate crimes and police misconduct. He later became deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, overseeing work related to law enforcement accountability initiatives.
In the Obama administration, Austin served as deputy assistant to the president for Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity on the White House Domestic Policy Council. He coauthored the influential “Big Data and Civil Rights” report, contributed to the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, advanced reentry programs, and played a key role in the Police Data Initiative and My Brother’s Keeper Task Force.
“We are proud to host this year’s Summit as part of NCCU School of Law’s commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders and advancing critical conversations about law and technology,” said Associate Dean April Dawson. “Roy Austin’s leadership and experience at the forefront of civil rights and technology will provide invaluable perspective for our community.”
Registration details, full agenda and speaker information are available at law.nccu.edu.