Conflicts of interest

When can our opinions be used against us? When is free speech limited not by a government censorship, but by economic, or political consequences?

Certainly, criticising the Law School at the University of Chicago limits my capacity to show up there applying for an LL.M., or a faculty position. Though that quality is ephemeral; the consequences of criticism may play out, but the dean will not, nor will anyone who remembers.

But what about publications? For example, publishing articles on patent reform. In a recent conversation, the capacity to publicly criticize patents was noteworthy because, in potentially working for a patent firm, it may create a conflict of interest with patent clients. This week, I'll talk about some patent reform, with this conflict of interest in mind. I have not yet publicly criticized patent reform, but I think it's something important to talk about.