Call for Contributors: Privacy Rights in a Data-Driven Society (The University of Memphis Law Review)

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTORS 

The University of Memphis Law Review’s 2027 Annual Symposium

Privacy Rights in a Data-Driven Society

The University of Memphis Law Review, Volume 57, seeks article proposals, speakers, and panel participants for a symposium focused on the challenge of preserving individual privacy rights to maintain meaningful control over how personal information is collected, interpreted, and disseminated in an increasingly data-driven society.

Generation Z (“Gen Z”) is the first generation to have cell phones, the internet, and social media fully integrated into everyday life since childhood. As Gen Z enters the workforce alongside Millennials, they will play a significant role in shaping the trajectory of our digital society. In a 2024 multi-country survey of more than five-thousand Gen Z voters, 88.8% of the survey participants identified the right to privacy as the most important human right among ten rights presented.[1] As the next generation of leaders increasingly affirms privacy as a fundamental right, the legal framework must continue to adapt to the complexities of rapidly evolving technology. 

Privacy concerns the individual’s ability to maintain control over personal information and to exercise meaningful autonomy over how that information is collected, used, shared, or interpreted. Privacy operates as a safeguard for personal agency and self-determination.  In the modern digital world, individuals routinely interact with artificial intelligence tools and surveillance technologies capable of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating vast quantities of personal data. Information ranging from health records and biometric data to online activity and social media preferences are continuously generated and processed every day. Although this data can yield valuable benefits, it also raises serious concerns about whether existing legal protections are sufficient to secure individual rights within an increasingly data-driven society. 

The University of Memphis Law Review's 2027 Annual Symposium seeks to explore the evolving individual right to privacy in the modern digital age and how the current legal landscape of privacy rights might change to better support an individual’s right to privacy. 

Proposals will be accepted through September 25, 2026. The symposium will be held at The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday, February 5, 2027. 

Symposium Topics

The editors seek articles and speakers whose work addresses or is related to one or more of the following topics:

1. Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies connection with privacy laws.
2. Surveillance, facial recognition, and privacy rights in public spaces.
3. Informational privacy and protection of sensitive data.
4. Individual autonomy and control over personal information.
5. Public health surveillance and individual healthcare privacy rights.
6. Social media user and consumer rights.
7. Any other emerging and related issues in privacy law and data governance in the modern digital age, including in the context of consumer, workplace, or children’s privacy.

 Submission Guidelines

Please submit any questions and send your proposal to Abigail Autry, Symposium Editor, via email at agautry@memphis.edu.

 Please Include:

·      Tentative Title

·      Brief Abstract or Proposal

·      CV or Resume

·      Indicate whether you wish to publish, present, or both.

Important Dates

Proposal Deadline: September 25, 2026

Notification of Selection (on or before): October 2, 2026

Final Article Deadline: January 8, 2027

2027 Symposium: February 5, 2027

Symposium Volume: Published & Released Summer 2027

Benefits of Participating

Expand the Reach of Your Work

The symposium and its location offer a unique setting for conversations and discussions to take place. Memphis is a city with a rich and complex history shaped by its role as a major Mississippi River port, its long-standing importance in trade and transportation, and its development as a cultural and economic hub in the Mid-South. Historically, Memphis has been the setting for important social and legal change, making it an ideal forum to examine the evolving challenges in privacy law. 

Memphis is home to the headquarters and legal departments of companies such as FedEx, International Paper, and AutoZone, as well as leading healthcare institutions including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and Baptist Memorial Health Care. Memphis sits at the intersection of a thriving business community and a vibrant legal community that, because of its central location, serves Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. 

For you, this means you will present your work to an engaged audience of attorneys, academics, judges, and other professionals interested in privacy rights. In doing so, you will build valuable connections and increase awareness of your expertise in this field. 

Publish with a Respected Journal

Participation in our annual symposium not only provides an opportunity to present your scholarship and expertise to a diverse audience of attorneys, judges, scholars, and other professionals who are actively engaged in the evolving issues surrounding privacy rights but also broadens the reach of your work. Memphis Law Review's editorial staff takes a collaborative and author-focused approach to the publication process. Our editors work closely with each author through every stage of editing to ensure each piece reaches its fullest potential while creating lasting professional relationships.The journal is committed to publishing timely, impactful scholarship that contributes to both legal practice and academic discussion. This commitment is reflected in the journal’s reputation for being a trusted and valuable resource for both practitioners and academics.

Work with a Dedicated Team of Editors and Staff

Memphis Law Review’s team of editors and staff provide thoughtful, constructive feedback while respecting the integrity of your work and perspective. The journal strives to foster a collaborative relationship with our authors, creating an editing process that is both productive and rewarding while ensuring your work receives the careful attention it deserves. 

We look forward to reviewing your proposals!

Max A. Friedman, Editor-in-Chief, Vol. 57

mfrdman1@memphis.edu

Abigail Autry, Symposium Editor, Vol. 57

agautry@memphis.edu