Scholar

Colleen V. Chien

Colleen V. Chien is an Asian-American legal scholar who is a law professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, where… more

Colleen V. Chien
H-index: 18
Business 45%
Economics 31%
colleenchien.bsky.social
New paper: Bridging Research Gaps b/w Academic Research & Legal Investigations of Algorithmic Discrimination, for AI, Ethics & Society 2025. @irenetrampoline.bsky.social, Anna Zink & I review civil enforcement actions & find 5 ways algorithmic research can better support enforcers; comments welcome!
colleenchien.bsky.social
My new article, "Clean Slate, Dirty Data," audits automatic non-conviction record clearance laws in 5 states, finds good but imperfect compliance, suggesting 1) automation can succeed where petitions fail, 2) accountability in implementation is needed.(NC L. Rev 2025)
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
colleenchien.bsky.social
Despite backlash to DEI, our paper, w/ Jillian Grennan and Jason Sandvik, just presented @nber.org, suggests targeted mentorship boosts firm-wide innovation. Tracking 7 cohorts, 633 mentees & 20K+ employees, we find real ROI for well-designed mentoring.

📄 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
colleenchien.bsky.social
Registration for our 4/16 AI & Education event featuring
@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social Education Prof Zach Pardos
and CS Prof Gireeja Ranade now open: berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Series website: ai-and-society.github.io

Curated by @rajiinio.bsky.social and @irenetrampoline.bsky.social
colleenchien.bsky.social
Thanks for checking it out. We hope to add streaming soon, so stay tuned!
colleenchien.bsky.social
Just posted: working paper on the impact of drivers license suspension reform laws on employment w/ @bobapel.bsky.social. We find increases in statewide employment when people can drive & that the quality of reform matters. It’s an early draft, welcome your comments! paperprisons.org/news-blog.ht...
colleenchien.bsky.social
We've launched a biweekly AI & Society salon at Berkeley w/ @rajiinio.bsky.social & @irenetrampoline.bsky.social! This week, sociologist marionf.bsky.social joined EECS’ beenwrekt.bsky.social to discuss The Ordinal Society. Up next, on April 16th: AI & Education. Join us at ai-and-society.github.io
colleenchien.bsky.social
Excited to see @kpbssandiego.bsky.social spotlight the Paper Prisons Racial Justice Act tool in their mini-series on racial disparities in the justice system. We’ve been humbled by the reception from people seeking to connect lived experience to data and welcome collaboration.
colleenchien.bsky.social
Focus: protect rights → advance industrial policy;
Agency AI inventories, personnel (Lynne Parker, M. Kratsios), AI Safety Institutes, US-dominated innovation;
Biden EO rescinded, OMB M-Memo revision, CTO/CAIO roles shifted to political appts;
AI Action Plan soon—Fed. Reg. comment period closes 3/15
colleenchien.bsky.social
What’s happening in Federal AI law, policy & governance? We discussed @ucberkeleylaw.bsky.social's recent conference, covering AI EOs across Trump I & II and Biden, the M-Memo, & agency shifts. Some highlights from my primer and the panel of computer & social scientists and lawyers I moderated:
alt18f.bsky.social
18F was doing exactly the type of work that DOGE claims to want – yet we were eliminated shortly after midnight. Read our letter to the American people:
18f.org
We're not done yet | 18F
18f.org
colleenchien.bsky.social
Today at noon PST - Tech Devt’s & Tools in the Criminal Legal System webinar (qualifies for CA tech CLE) - I’ll be talking about Paper Prisons projects in AI, automation, & data re the California Racial Justice Act & Clean Slate w/ Andrea Roth, Chesa Boudin, Rebecca Wexler, and Jake Rhodes.
issuesinst.bsky.social
ISSUES is thrilled to join the Bluesky community! ⁠

A brief introduction: We’re a digital and print opinion journal published by @nationalacademies.org and Arizona State University. We provide a forum for discussion of public policy related to science, technology, and society. ⁠1/ issues.org
20 recent ISSUES covers, designed by Fabio Cutro.
colleenchien.bsky.social
Built by Santa Clara and Berkeley teams, including William Sundstrom, W. David Ball, Akhil Raj, Du Yabo, Bennett Cyphers, Chesa Boudin, Varun Gujarathi, and inspired by public defenders and Ash Kalra's Act. Your feedback is welcome!
colleenchien.bsky.social
By providing data for evaluating RJA claims, we aim to level the field for those seeking discovery/relief based on disparity evidence. Analyze your case against broader patterns; see our LA County burglary analysis (2013-2014).
colleenchien.bsky.social
📣 New Racial Justice Act tool/paper alert! Our Paper Prisons tool offers CalDOJ data on racial disparities by county, charge, prosecution stage, and sentence in all 58 CA counties.

Tool: rja.paperprisons.org
Racial Justice Act Tool [beta]
rja.paperprisons.org
colleenchien.bsky.social
Excited to share UC Berkeley's new cluster hire in AI, Inequality, and Society including five T/TT positions at Berkeley Law, @berkeleyischool.bsky.social, UC Berkeley CDSS, and the departments of EECS and Sociology.

Please consider applying / spread the word!
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04498
colleenchien.bsky.social
This @financialtimes.com article provides an overview of several studies by Diversity Patents Initiative researchers including @patentscholar.bsky.social's & my piece in Science & a paper I co-authored with Chris Cotropia on the role of GenAI in improving patent quality:

www.ft.com/content/feb1...
Studies highlight gender and race-based gaps in patent applications
Disparities contribute to income inequalities and influence who receives funding for invention, researchers say
www.ft.com
colleenchien.bsky.social
Great to talk inclusive innovation with US Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce Derrick Brent last week at USPTO headquarters. Check out the agency's National Strategy for Inclusive Innovation, for getting people off the bench and into the innovation game.

uspto.gov/about-us/new...
colleenchien.bsky.social
Recording from inspiring California GenAI summit focusing on how to best harness GenAI for empowerment, not inequality, now available.
cdss.berkeley.edu/JointCASummi...
Check out the Governor's GenAI EO, toolkit, procurement guidance, and other regs.
cdt.ca.gov/technology-i...

@djpatil.bsky.social
colleenchien.bsky.social
New(ish) study with Duke Prof. Arti Rai considers Dx #patenting following SCOTUS’ Mayo ruling. We find increased prosecution toughness, sustained patenting but some evidence of retrenchment in filings/filing quality among small, US-based firms. Paper: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... 📈 #PatentLaw

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