Shaping Technology Policy
Alumni Profile: Max Rieper, L'03
In a rapidly advancing world, technology and the law are converging in unprecedented ways, creating challenges and opportunities for policymakers, businesses and legal professionals. For one KU Law alumnus, this dynamic landscape has defined a fulfilling career in government relations and technology policy, illuminating state legislatures' vital role in shaping the future.
Hailing from the Kansas City area, Max Rieper, L’03, initially pursued a political science degree at Ohio State University. Drawn back to Kansas, he enrolled at KU Law to be closer to home and found the experience transformative.
He initially considered leaving law school after his first year, as he realized litigation wasn’t his calling. However, a conversation with a faculty member changed everything. He discovered KU Law’s robust public policy program and dove into opportunities such as the Public Policy Clinic with Professor Richard Levy and internships with the Kansas House of Representatives and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
“I got to see how laws are made, and I much preferred the creation of law instead of the interpretation of law,” Rieper said.
Shortly after graduating, he joined MultiState Associates, a government relations firm specializing in state and local politics. Over two decades, he’s developed expertise in tracking legislation, analyzing trends and advising clients on issues ranging from consumer privacy to artificial intelligence (AI).
Rieper’s expertise in technology policy emerged serendipitously. About eight years ago, he began working on privacy issues, a relatively niche field at the time. However, the landscape shifted dramatically in 2018 when Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) inspired California’s Consumer Privacy Act, prompting other states to follow suit, creating a complex regulatory environment for businesses in terms of data protection, child online safety and AI, to name a few.
“Where we're seeing policy getting done is in the states. The adage is, these are our 50 laboratories of democracy, and so we're going to see a lot of experimentation with what works and what doesn't work,” he said. “Congress is slow to move. It's going to be up to states to take the initiative to tackle some of these pressing issues.”
Anticipating the growing fascination with AI law, Rieper played a key role in developing multistate.ai, a platform designed to help clients navigate the intricacies of AI regulation. The platform provides a centralized resource for tracking state and local policies, understanding compliance frameworks and identifying emerging trends.
“We want it to be a one-stop shop for all of our clients to be able to understand what's coming, the trends we're spotting, some of the compliance frameworks and potential pitfalls that they may have to watch out for, and just get a better understanding,” he said. “I think we're all trying to understand the complexity of this technology and we're trying to understand what regulation is going to look like. We just want to provide the most information we can for clients.”
One of the key challenges in technology policy is striking a balance between fostering innovation and protecting public interests.
“It has a lot of uses that are beneficial to all of us. So, you don't want to overregulate and be onerous on an industry that's still trying to get its footing,” he said.
For Rieper, staying ahead of the curve requires continuous learning and collaboration. He relies on a network of tech experts, reporters and lobbyists to monitor developments and gain insights.
“I'm not a tech guy or an AI guy or anything like that. I don't know the technology that well. I rely a lot on people who are smarter than myself who do know the technology,” he said.
When he’s not analyzing the latest trends of technology policy, Rieper finds himself analyzing his other passion: the Kansas City Royals. Over a decade ago, the KC native stumbled upon the Royals Review, a blog for Royals fans to share news, analysis and commentary on the team. After moving from reader to commenter to contributor, he was asked to become the managing editor of the entire site in 2014. This experience has taken Rieper to NPR, the World Series and even the White House.
Reflecting on his journey, Rieper offers valuable advice for law students and professionals considering a career in technology policy.
“Keep an open mind as far as political beliefs. Listen to people who don't agree with you, because in this line of work, there's going to be people to disagree with you on all sorts of policies,” he said. “People aren't paying you for your political opinion.”
Rieper urges others to become comfortable with new technology, such as AI.
“We're in the first chapter of what's going to be a long book on tech regulation,” he said.
This article appeared in print in the 2024 KU Law Magazine.