Nicole Ozer, Technology & Civil Liberties Director, ACLU of California (Photo: Courtesy photo)

Nicole Ozer, the technology and civil liberties director for the American Civil Liberties Union of California, helped spearhead the passage of landmark legislation in May giving the people of Oakland local control over if and how law enforcement uses surveillance technologies including drones, social media surveillance and license plate readers.

What's one way technology has made your life easier?

I don't get lost.

One way it's made your life more difficult?

People can always find me.

Name a lawyer whose work you admire and why?

Professor Deirdre Mulligan of UC Berkeley. She is able to produce legal research that is highly respected in the academy. And that also has real-world applicability and important impact.

What's the best part about working in the tech sector?

The opportunity to help shape the future and defend and promote civil rights in the digital age.

What's the biggest challenge?

The incredibly fast pace of technological advancement and the relatively slow progress of legal change needed to properly protect civil liberties and civil rights.

What piece of advice do you give to lawyers considering a career in tech law?

Put yourself in the middle of interesting work, be creative, and develop strong relationships across many sectors.

What’s one area of technology that you’re most excited about?

Differential privacy and homomorphic encryption.

Name an important opportunity you got early in your career and what you did with it?

I was hired to develop the ACLU's first state technology project in 2004. Over the past fourteen years, I have built the ACLU of California Technology and Civil Liberties Project, and we have been at the forefront of much of the nation's cutting-edge work on government surveillance, consumer privacy and free speech and the Internet.

What's the best piece of career advice anyone ever gave you?

Be the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position. Being a good leader isn't about being perfect. Be human. Owning imperfections builds trust; hiding them doesn’t.

No. 1 survival tip in a work crisis:

Stay calm, and make sure your team feels safe, supported and protected.

In 50 words or less, how far has the tech industry gone toward tackling its gender gap since you started practicing?

There has been much greater discussion and attention on both gender and diversity issues. But not particularly substantial movement in senior executive, board and investor communities. I do hope that real change is finally on the horizon.

What’s one way you’ve had to change your thinking toward practicing law to succeed with tech industry clients?

To match the pace of our legal work to the extremely fact pace of innovation. To be creative in identifying the most efficient and effective legal and policy strategies to address an issue.