
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1976. Dr. Meléndez-Juarbe holds a BA from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (1997) and a JD, from the University of Puerto Rico Law School (2000). He earned a Masters in Law from Harvard Law School, 2002 (coursework in Constitutional Law, Civil Rights litigation, Legal Theory and History), and a Masters in Law from New York University Law School, 2008 (coursework in Intellectual Property, Innovation Policy, Art Law, Entertainment Law, Cyberlaw). Meléndez-Juarbe holds a doctorate (JSD 2013) from New York University where he did research on copyright law and information technology.
Dr. Meléndez-Juarbe has a unique professional makeup comprised of private and public consulting experience in such diverse areas as Trademark, Copyright, Privacy and general Internet law and policy, commercial litigation, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Civil Rights, among others.
In 2000-2001 he worked as Law Clerk to then Associate Justice, now Chief Justice, of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, Hon. Federico Hernández Denton. In 2002 he joined the Office of the Solicitor General of Puerto Rico, conducting government appellate litigation before the US Court of Appeal for the First Circuit, the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, and the PR Appellate Court.
In 2003 he joined the University of Puerto Rico Law School faculty where he teaches constitutional law, copyright law, as well as privacy and technology law, among other courses. His academic legal writings have been published in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Puerto Rico.
While in academia, Meléndez-Juarbe has been involved in civil litigation and has provided legal advice to clients in private and public sectors in civil law, intellectual property, law and technology, constitutional law, administrative law and public policy.
He is admitted to the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Federal District Court, the US Court of Appeal for the First Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Dr. Meléndez-Juarbe was a Member and President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, Board of Directors President of Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico, Inc and was Member of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court Board of Bar Examiners.