Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Jordan Chernof is joining the Law School as a former software engineer at Microsoft. His background in computer science, which he studied as an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, launched his career in tech—but the political and regulatory changes he witnessed in that industry inspired him to pivot to law school.

Tell us a bit about your background and professional path.

After studying both computer science and public policy at UC Berkeley, I knew I wanted to work on hard technical problems that served the public interest. I joined a team of engineers at Microsoft that develops IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, including for smart grids and cities, and spent three years in the industry.

What key experiences do you feel have shaped you?

Learning every day from Microsoft peers who were industry leaders in cybersecurity and network engineering helped shape my viewpoint on the software industry. I realized cybersecurity is equally a political and technical problem, and I directly witnessed political and regulatory changes (such as the General Data Protection Regulation, known as GDPR, and the cyber executive order) change how technology was built.

What motivated your decision to go to law school?

Pursuing computer science allowed me to spend time on technical problems at their base level, which is computer code. Over time, I have grown to appreciate how policy problems have their own substrate, which is a combination of laws, regulations, judicial rulings, and their respective interpretations. I am motivated to study public policy from that deeper level.

Why did you choose the University of Chicago Law School?

Originally, I was drawn by the interdisciplinary connection I could find between the Law School, the Harris School, and the resources in Economics/Booth. As the school year nears, though, I find myself increasingly excited about the small incoming class size and collaborative academic environment.

What do you hope/plan to do with your legal education?

I hope to use my legal education to better understand how laws and institutions shape our urban and/or information technology systems. Eventually, I plan to work on reforming and strengthening those systems.

What are you most looking forward to about being a law student?

I am most excited to be a curious student again!

Any interesting hobbies or interests?

I enjoy cooking, nonfiction books, and most of all a good hike—likely owing to the years I spent in Seattle.

What is a “fun fact” about you?

I traveled to Serengeti, the Galapagos, and Machu Picchu this summer and saw some incredible nature and wildlife.