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photo of prof laura norris a smiling white woman with brown and grey hair with bangs, she is wearing colorful glasses, a white collared button down shirt and a blue blazer the background is greenery
Laura Norris
Associate Dean of Innovation; Clinical Professor of Law; Co-Director, Entrepreneurs' Law Clinic; Co-Director, Tech Edge J.D.

    Laura draws on her background as a lawyer in high-growth technology industries to inspire and support innovation in the law school.  Laura employs design thinking techniques to create new programs and courses and teaches students to approach legal practice with a problem-solving mindset. She is a certified career coach in the Designing Your Life methodology and uses the methodology in guiding Tech Edge J.D. students in their own career planning.

    As an advocate for inclusiveness in the legal profession for decades, Laura has been actively involved with the ChIPs organization, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women in technology, law and policy.  She sits on the organization’s board of directors, serves as the faculty advisor to the Santa Clara Law student organization, and previously co-founded the Silicon Valley chapter.  Laura is a co-author of a 2021 Diversity in Innovation Best Practices Guide for in-house attorneys and IP managers, the result of an extensive study of U.S. companies.

    Laura has served in multiple leadership roles at the law school.  She has served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Co-Director of the Datta Center for High Tech Law, founding Director of the Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic and Tech Edge J.D., and Co-Director of the Singapore study abroad program.  She is on the advisory board of the My Own Business Institute (MOBI) and the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Technology Law and Policy Center.

    Prior to joining the faculty at Santa Clara Law in 2013, Laura worked in private practice representing technology startups and entrepreneurs, often as the general counsel. She was also the first Vice President of Legal Affairs at Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, and former engineer and patent agent at Intel Corporation.  Laura teaches courses in business law and entrepreneurship such as Business Organizations, Contracts, and the Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic. Laura lives in downtown San Jose with her husband and two opinionated Shih Tzus.