Chicago-Kent College of Law has welcomed Professor Cathay Y. N. Smith to its faculty in the fall of 2024. Previously, Smith was a faculty member at the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law since 2015. Her legal career began in Chicago, where she earned her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and worked as an IP litigator at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP for six years before transitioning into academia.
Smith's research focuses on copyright law and its intersection with social policy. "I explore copyright law and its intersection with social policy," she says, adding that her work often examines how copyright can address broader societal issues like free speech and cultural preservation.
In recent years, Smith used popular culture phenomena such as the Tiger King series to delve into copyright issues within pop culture. "There was a copyright issue [in the show] that I wanted to explore with my students in class," she explains, noting that student feedback inspired her to write essays on these topics.
Her papers “Weaponizing Copyright” and “Copyright Silencing” discuss how individuals use copyright as a tool to suppress criticism or other forms of speech beyond protecting economic value. Another major news story involving Dr. Seuss led to further exploration in her paper “Cancelling Dr. Seuss,” examining the implications of using copyright to withdraw works during their term or editing them for new editions.
“Owning copyright to a work typically means that you can pretty much do almost anything you want with your work,” Smith states, emphasizing the complexity behind these issues and encouraging students to think critically about them.
Smith's teaching is influenced by her upbringing in Taiwan and return to the United States for college education. She aims to teach without assuming prior knowledge of U.S. government or legal systems among students: "By the time you get to university and law school, there’s this presumption that you understand the basics... but not every student comes... with the same background."
Joining Chicago-Kent excites Smith due to its renowned intellectual property program: "[The Law School] has a nationally renowned intellectual property program... I am delighted to serve and give back."