<p> Cyber incidents continue to increase across the entire globe. The increase in security threats requires organizations to rethink strategies and policies continually fortifying against known and unknown threats. Cyber incident policies and response plans range from non-existent to hundreds of pages in length. A policy may include sections discussing roles and responsibility, incident detection, escalation, and many additional categories, and often discuss the collection and preservation of forensic evidence. Policies briefly address, in many cases, the proper collection of evidence; however, the written regulation concerning the potential liabilities, the risks associated with current and future litigation, and the legal consequences to a cyber incident remains sparse. The desired outcome of this paper is to enlighten the reader through identification of the risks, the potential pitfalls, and steps to policy development pertaining to the handling of electronic evidence, with a cross examination of overlapping sectors between forensics, electronic discovery, and cyber security.</p>

<p> Cyber mobs have grown to have a significant impact on individuals in real space and cyber space. Law enforcement and legislators have been confronted with challenges in mitigating the intangible harms inflicted by individuals of cyber mobs. Law enforcement, in most cases, is focused on solving cybercrimes associated with tangible harms. Thus, legislators seek to better protect cyber mob victims by increasing law enforcement training and focus on cyber mob incidents, as well as to create new legislation to better cope with the harms caused by cyber mobs. Much of the current research available focuses on the social aspects of cyber mobs, and before creating changes to statutes and law enforcement training, research is necessary to craft those changes better to counter cyber mob activities. The study reviewed several different types of cyber mobs, legislative measures, and cyber policing methods to provide recommendations. The research found that cyber mobs seem to overlap in their techniques, tactics, and procedures, though the harms they cause to accomplish their goals vary. In order to protect against their actions, research suggested, overall, that the examination of current legislation to create new methods of enforcement is necessary before creating additional statutes. In parallel with using current legislation, online communities already employ methods to police themselves, and these methods offer new avenues for law enforcement to work with these communities to better assist them when issues arise. These results demonstrated that much of what is necessary to protect against cyber mobs is already available, but it must be utilized differently to improve effectiveness.</p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation was to study perceptions of faculty and administrators at institutions of higher education on copyright ownership of faculty-created digital course content. The central question for this study was: Who had copyright ownership rights of faculty-created digital content and in what manner was copyright ownership developed, implemented, and asserted at institutions of higher education. The five research questions were: (a) How were copyright ownership policies of faculty-created digital content developed and implemented at institutions of higher education?; (b) How were faculty involved in the development of copyright ownership agreements?; (c) What institutional policy and contractual documents contained specific language on copyright ownership rights of faculty-created digital content?; (d) How were institutional assertions of copyright ownership of faculty-created digital content allocated and managed?; (e) How were copyright ownership issues of faculty-created digital content resolved? A descriptive study approach was used to study administrator and faculty perceptions on copyright ownership at five institution types within the State of Texas and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. A total of 100 random faculty and administrator participants were sent the online survey link via e-mail. The online survey included closed-ended and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results from the closed-ended and open- ended questions. In summary, the findings showed that within the participating respondent groups: (a) Most faculty were not involved in the development of copyright ownership policies; (b) Institutions asserted copyright ownership through some institutional document/policy and not through contractual agreements; and, (c) Copyright ownership issues did not arise between the institution and faculty. With the portability of digital content, and the need to utilize and develop said content within the university setting, more faculty and administrators should be aware of, and be involved in copyright ownership policies. The field of study of copyright ownership in accordance to faculty and administrator digitally created content was limited, and more studies should be conducted with a larger population. </p><p>

“Stratospheric Sulfate Injection” (SSI) is an emergent technology that is meant to reduce global warming by blocking incoming sunlight, in particular, by injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere. Once SSI gets started, it is necessary to keep injecting every 1-2 years; otherwise, the cooling effect will disappear and there will be sudden and potentially catastrophic global warming. Even though the effects are global, SSI can be deployed by a single state or small group of states acting alone and likely would be deployed in this way. There is currently no consensus among lawyers and judges as to whether such “unilateral” deployment of SSI would be legal under international law. The profession therefore requires a comprehensive study of the legal implications of unilateral deployment of SSI. To fill this gap, my thesis asks, “Does unilateral deployment of SSI breach international law?” Examining theories of international law, legal and political philosophy, and the science of SSI, I argue that deploying SSI unilaterally breaches a fundamental jus cogens (“compelling law”) norm of international law: the inherent right of self-defence. This norm entails a prohibition on what I call “perfect capture,” which happens when a foreign state appropriates and permanently monopolizes a domestic state’s responsibility to protect its population. Perfect capture violates the inherent right of self-defence because it represents a state’s renunciation of its capacity to make decisions affecting the survival of its population. Thus, insofar as it constitutes perfect capture, unilateral deployment of SSI grants a single state or small group of states more arbitrary power over the existential conditions of other states than is compatible with the premises of a pluralist international legal order. / Graduate

Few state courtrooms in the United States have integrated information technology (IT) in court trials. Despite jurors' beliefs that using courtroom technology improves their abilities to serve as jurors, the attitudes and experiences among attorneys and judges toward the utility of IT continue to pose barriers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the experiences of attorneys and judges in the State of Virginia with regard limited use of IT in state courtrooms. The conceptual framework included Davis, Bagozzi, and Warshaw's (1989) technology acceptance model; Rogers's (2003) diffusion of innovation theory; and Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, and Davis's (2003) unified theory of acceptance. A snowball sample of 22 attorneys and judges were interviewed using in-depth, semistructured questions. Data were analyzed using open coding techniques to identify themes and patterns with findings supporting the need for improved and expanded courtroom technology. Finding showed that attorneys and judges believed courtroom technology could be useful; however, the lack of training and the cost to implement technology limited their use of technology in courtrooms. Implications for positive social change include increasing the adoption rate of courtroom technology to support courtroom processes and empowering courts to improve the quality of justice through technology in an efficient and effective manner, thereby benefiting everyone in the judicial system and the public.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo traçar um perfil da evolução das pesquisas sobre decisão judicial. Foi dada certa ênfase àquelas teorias e modelos influenciados pela teoria da decisão proposta pelo Realismo Jurídico Americano, ou seja, teorias e modelos que consideram fatores extrajurídicos que influenciam a decisão judicial e/ou que consideram que juízes decidem os casos primeiro com sua intuição, para somente depois racionalizar e fundamentar a decisão com argumentos jurídicos. O trabalho, em primeiro lugar, busca detalhar o pensamento realista, em seus aspectos históricos - como reação a formalismos existentes até então - e em seus aspectos teóricos - propondo (i.) uma teoria do direito; (ii.) instrumentalismo jurídico; e, especialmente (iii.) uma teoria da decisão judicial. Após a retomada do pensamento realista, o trabalho debate três modelos (ou teorias) modernos da decisão judicial: o modelo atitudinal, o modelo estratégico e o modelo psicológico. Posteriormente, e como último capítulo teórico, o trabalho aborda as novas possibilidades de estudo do comportamento judicial, especialmente trabalhos e experiências que utilizam a tecnologia e modelos computadorizados e algoritmos para a previsão de decisões. Alguns modelos computacionais serão examinados bem como alguns aspectos sobre base de dados e dados estruturados e não estruturados no direito, além de experiências com Mercados de Previsão e com a \"Sabedoria das Multidões\". Após toda as abordagens teóricas, o trabalho adentra em um capítulo prático e empírico, sobre o estudo da decisão judicial no Brasil. Foram analisados alguns elementos de todas as dissertações e teses de mestrado e doutorado em direito defendidas nos anos de 2011 a 2014, para que se pudesse entender como a matéria do comportamento judicial é abordada na academia jurídica brasileira. Conclui-se, com os dados, que a pesquisa sobre decisão judicial no Brasil ainda é incipiente, predominantemente normativa e quase nada se debate a respeito de teorias ou modelos descritivos ou preditivos, tais quais as que foram examinadas nos capítulos anteriores. / This dissertation aims to study the evolution of research on judicial decision. Special emphasis was placed on those theories and models influenced by the decision theory proposed by the American Legal Realism, which means those theories and models that consider extralegal factors that influence the judicial decision and/or theories and models that believe that judges decide cases first with their intuition, to only then rationalize and justify the decision using legal arguments. The dissertation first aims to break down the legal realist thought into two aspects: into its historical aspects, as being a reaction to existing formalisms, and into its theoretical aspects - as proposing (i.) a theory of law; (ii.) legal instrumentalism; and, finally (iii.) a theory of adjudication. After the analysis of the legal realism, the dissertation studies three modern models of judicial decision: the attitudinal model, the strategic model and the psychological model. Later, in the last theoretical chapter, this dissertation discusses new possibilities in the study of judicial decision, especially addressing works and experiences that uses technology, computer models and algorithms for predicting decisions. Some models will be examined in addition to some aspects of structured and unstructured data and databases in law, as well as experiences with Prediction Markets and with the \"Wisdom of the Crowds\". After this theoretical approach, this dissertation enters into a practical and empirical chapter on the research of judicial decision in Brazil. All masters and doctoral thesis and dissertations in Law defended in the years 2011-2014 were analyzed, so that one could understand how the matter of judicial behavior is addressed in the Brazilian legal academy. The empirical research concludes that the research on judicial decision in Brazil is still incipient, predominantly normative and there is almost nothing regarding descriptive or forecasting theories or models such as those examined in the previous chapters.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo traçar um perfil da evolução das pesquisas sobre decisão judicial. Foi dada certa ênfase àquelas teorias e modelos influenciados pela teoria da decisão proposta pelo Realismo Jurídico Americano, ou seja, teorias e modelos que consideram fatores extrajurídicos que influenciam a decisão judicial e/ou que consideram que juízes decidem os casos primeiro com sua intuição, para somente depois racionalizar e fundamentar a decisão com argumentos jurídicos. O trabalho, em primeiro lugar, busca detalhar o pensamento realista, em seus aspectos históricos - como reação a formalismos existentes até então - e em seus aspectos teóricos - propondo (i.) uma teoria do direito; (ii.) instrumentalismo jurídico; e, especialmente (iii.) uma teoria da decisão judicial. Após a retomada do pensamento realista, o trabalho debate três modelos (ou teorias) modernos da decisão judicial: o modelo atitudinal, o modelo estratégico e o modelo psicológico. Posteriormente, e como último capítulo teórico, o trabalho aborda as novas possibilidades de estudo do comportamento judicial, especialmente trabalhos e experiências que utilizam a tecnologia e modelos computadorizados e algoritmos para a previsão de decisões. Alguns modelos computacionais serão examinados bem como alguns aspectos sobre base de dados e dados estruturados e não estruturados no direito, além de experiências com Mercados de Previsão e com a \"Sabedoria das Multidões\". Após toda as abordagens teóricas, o trabalho adentra em um capítulo prático e empírico, sobre o estudo da decisão judicial no Brasil. Foram analisados alguns elementos de todas as dissertações e teses de mestrado e doutorado em direito defendidas nos anos de 2011 a 2014, para que se pudesse entender como a matéria do comportamento judicial é abordada na academia jurídica brasileira. Conclui-se, com os dados, que a pesquisa sobre decisão judicial no Brasil ainda é incipiente, predominantemente normativa e quase nada se debate a respeito de teorias ou modelos descritivos ou preditivos, tais quais as que foram examinadas nos capítulos anteriores. / This dissertation aims to study the evolution of research on judicial decision. Special emphasis was placed on those theories and models influenced by the decision theory proposed by the American Legal Realism, which means those theories and models that consider extralegal factors that influence the judicial decision and/or theories and models that believe that judges decide cases first with their intuition, to only then rationalize and justify the decision using legal arguments. The dissertation first aims to break down the legal realist thought into two aspects: into its historical aspects, as being a reaction to existing formalisms, and into its theoretical aspects - as proposing (i.) a theory of law; (ii.) legal instrumentalism; and, finally (iii.) a theory of adjudication. After the analysis of the legal realism, the dissertation studies three modern models of judicial decision: the attitudinal model, the strategic model and the psychological model. Later, in the last theoretical chapter, this dissertation discusses new possibilities in the study of judicial decision, especially addressing works and experiences that uses technology, computer models and algorithms for predicting decisions. Some models will be examined in addition to some aspects of structured and unstructured data and databases in law, as well as experiences with Prediction Markets and with the \"Wisdom of the Crowds\". After this theoretical approach, this dissertation enters into a practical and empirical chapter on the research of judicial decision in Brazil. All masters and doctoral thesis and dissertations in Law defended in the years 2011-2014 were analyzed, so that one could understand how the matter of judicial behavior is addressed in the Brazilian legal academy. The empirical research concludes that the research on judicial decision in Brazil is still incipient, predominantly normative and there is almost nothing regarding descriptive or forecasting theories or models such as those examined in the previous chapters.

[pt] Esta pesquisa se pretende um movimento de abertura tanto no campo da teoria do direito quanto no dos estudos de direito e tecnologia, e em especial na intersecção entre esses campos. Ela busca construir uma teoria do direito e da sua relação com as técnicas que permita navegar a passagem contemporânea entre o que chamo de tecnomia moderna e uma tecnomia das plataformas ligada à emergência da compu-tação em escala global, da governança algorítmica e da crise climática. Para tanto, busco, em primeiro lugar, contribuir para uma teoria especulativa do direito (nem uma teoria interna do direito moderno como o conhecemos, nem uma teoria crí-tica/desconstrutiva do direito). Procuro fazê-lo lendo dois pensadores chave do direito moderno, Hans Kelsen e Carl Schmitt, como complementares e à luz de cor-rentes da chamada virada especulativa da filosofia contemporânea. Kelsen é lido como um aceleracionista/inumanista, e Scmitt à luz da cosmo/geontopolítica, en-quanto a filosofia dos agenciamentos de Deleuze e Guattari serve como o fundo pelo qual tudo isso se articula. Em segundo lugar, mobilizo esse aparato a fim de especular sobre uma tecnomia das plataformas. Construo conceitos tecnômicos de código, plataforma, dispositivo, aplicativo, interface e usuário. A demogramática algorítmica é definida como operando por captação massiva de dados, traçado de grafos e modulação de condutas. Procuro traçar algumas tendências na transição à tecnomia das plataformas, e.g. tendências à contingência das posições de pessoa e de coisa, à indistinção entre norma e viés, à não-instrumentalidade das técnicas, à pluralidade dos mundos, à sobreposição de nomias, à imbricação entre cognição e governo etc. Termino sugerindo três modelos/paradigmas especulativos para a na-vegação da tecnomia das plataformas – um modelo inumano, fundado na hipótese da inteligência geral; um paradigma animista, ligado à hipótese/mito de Gaia, e, por fim, uma tentativa de composição entre os dois. / [en] This thesis intends an opening move in the field of legal theory as well as in that of law and technology studies, and especially in the intersection of the two. It tries to construct a theory of law and of its relation to technology that allows for the navi-gation of the contemporary passage from what I call modern technomics to a plat-form technomics linked to the emergence of planetary scale computation, algorith-mic governance and the climate crisis. To do that, I first try to make a contribution to a speculative legal thery (neither an internal theory of modern law as we know it, nor a critical/deconstructive legal theory). I do so by reading two key thinkers of modern law, Hans Kelsen and Carl Schmitt, as complementary, and through cur-rents of the so-called speculative turn in contemporary theory. Kelsen is read as an accelerationist/inhumanist, and Schmitt in light of cosmo/geontopolitics, while Deleuze and Guattari s assemblage theory serves as a background through which the rest is connected. Secondly, I mobilize this conceptual apparatus to speculate about platform technomics. I build technomic concepts of code, platform, device, application, interface and user. Algorithmic demogrammar is defined as operating by massive data collection, tracing of graphs and modulation of conducts. I look to trace some tendencies in the transition to platform technomics, e.g. to the contin-gency of the positions of person and thing, to the indistinction between norm and bias, to the non-instrumentality of technics, to the plurality of worlds, to the super-imposition of nomoi, to the confusion of cognition and governance etc. I finish by offering three speculative models/paradigms for the navigation of platform tech-nomics – an inhuman model, based on the hypothesis of general intelligence; an animistic paradigm, linked to the Gaia hypothesis/myth, and, finally, a tentative composition between the two.