Profile

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.

Professional Experience

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 became Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Law School, where he teaches copyright law, Internet law, constitutional law, privacy and technology law, First Amendment and administrative law. His academic legal writings have been published in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Puerto Rico and his recent article, DRM Interoperability, XV B.U. J. Sci. Tech. L 181 (2009), was selected as one “of the most important and timely articles on computers, technology, and the law” of 2009 by the Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal.

While in academia, Meléndez-Juarbe has been involved in civil litigation and has provided legal advice and consultation to clients in private and public sectors in civil law, intellectual property, law and technology, constitutional law, administrative law and public policy. As a Special Advisor to the Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico on constitutional law and policy, in 2006 he was appointed Puerto Rico’s representative to the Governmental Advisory Committee of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, an international organization in charge of administering the Internet’s Domain Name System, establishing and implementing global Internet policy.

In 2006 he founded and directed the UPR’s Cyberlaw Clinic, advising clients on legal affairs occurring in a digitally connected context and has advised clients and litigated domain name issues before the World Intellectual Property Organization. In 2007, Dr. Meléndez-Juarbe co-founded the Puerto Rico chapter of Creative Commons, an international organization providing open copyright licenses and other digital legal tools to creators.

He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Internet and Computer Law Section of the American Association of Law Schools; member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association Intellectual Property Commission; Board of Advisors Member of the Puerto Rico Business Law Journal; and 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 and a Board of Directors member of Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico, Inc. He is currently Member of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court Board of Bar Examiners.