My name is Raymond Chow, and I’m an attorney in New Jersey. As lawyers, we have a leg-up in many aspects of this world that has slowly become riddled with complex law and regulation. We can see changes in the tax code coming, and save ourselves thousands in taxes. We know our Constitutional rights better, and can protect ourselves from police abuse before it happens. And of course, we’re all experts at finding the tiniest mistake in a parking ticket.

But as proficient as most lawyers are at mundane legal topics, privacy still eludes many. Without an explicit US Constitutional framework for individual privacy rights, courts have to piece together privacy rights in a hodgepodge manner that’s confusing to even the most seasoned attorneys. Combine this confusion with the fact that technology rapidly outpaces legislation and you’re left with a situation where attorneys and non-attorneys alike are often left without a clue.

That’s where Privacy Blawg comes in. It’s disheartening to see Twitter and Facebook posts from people with great passion for individual privacy rights, but who misstate the law. It’s even worse to see people wholly apathetic to their individual rights. My hope is for Privacy Blawg to raise awareness to privacy breaches and issues, whether they occur in the private sector or public sector, whether they be high-profile or not. I hope to engage with my readers in a serious discussion about where our country is headed with their privacy rights. I hope to get everyone to see their privacy rights in a more discerning light, and take steps to protect them whenever possible. And I hope to do it all with minimum legalese.

Law school and the Bar exams were grueling, expensive processes, and perhaps attorneys should get some sort of perk for having gone through it all. For me though, that perk-train stops at getting out of parking tickets. Awareness and comprehension of individual privacy rights should be for everyone, and I hope to make it so.