Title: Director Emeritus
Company: Legal Information Institute
Location: Ithaca, New York, United States
Thomas R. Bruce, director emeritus at the Legal Information Institute, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements, and leadership in entrepreneurship.
With nearly five decades of experience, Mr. Bruce has established himself as a business owner with a focus on legal services. Since 2019, he has served as director emeritus at the Legal Information Institute, the first institution to distribute legal information worldwide. They started with Social Security, expanded to US Code, and ultimately included the Code of Federal Regulations and Supreme Court decisions. His responsibilities include serving as an expert witness, predominantly in patent suits. Since 2011, he has been a member of the scientific advisory board for the Springer Law, Governance and Technology series and a consultant for the African Legal Information Institute. From 1992 to 2019, he co-founded and served as director of the Legal Information Institute, reviewed for conference program committees from 2007 to 2019, and was on the board of directors for the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research from 2011 to 2018.
In 2017, Mr. Bruce served as a witness for the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and was a steering committee member for the Poli-Informatics Research Network from 2013 to 2016. Additionally, he was on the board of directors for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction from 1995 to 2014, an invited expert at the Hague Conference on Private International Law in 2012, and a witness for the Committee on House Administration of the US House of Representatives in 2011. He was also a consultant for the Global Study on Free Access to Law with SAFLII/LexUM from 2008 to 2009, a digital projects consultant for the Harvard Law School Library from 1998 to 2009, a member of the ABA Committee on the Status and Future of Federal e-Rulemaking from 2007 to 2008, an invited expert at the Hague Conference on Private International Law in 2008, and a library development consultant for the SIDA project for Strengthening Legal Education in Vietnam from 2006 to 2007.
Mr. Bruce also served as a senior international fellow at the University of Melbourne School of Law from 2000 to 2001, director of educational technologies at Cornell Law School from 1988 to 1992, and since 2013, he has contributed creatively as the editor of the Journal of Open Access to Law. Outside of the legal field, he has established a background in the arts, including as a stage manager for the Greater Miami Opera from 1980 to 1987, production stage manager for the Texas Opera Theatre from 1982 to 1983, resident stage manager for the American Repertory Theater from 1980 to 1981, and director of special technical projects for the Spoleto Festival USA from 1976 to 1979. Laying a solid foundation for his future success, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale in 1974, and a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale University School of Drama in 1979.
Mr. Bruce takes great pride in his successful management of the Legal Information Institute. Upon his retirement, a law professor in Columbus praised him as an innovative figure in legal education who brought clarity to the law for those who abide by it. In recognition of his impressive undertakings, he was named to the Fastcase 50 Inaugural Class by Fastcase in 2011 and to the Legal Rebel Inaugural Class by the ABA Journal in 2009. He also received the Bert Gruver Prize from the Yale School of Drama in 1979. He attributes his success to his intelligence and ability to quickly learn new things, which has been a critical factor in his achievements. Additionally, his excellent musical education has proven advantageous during his time as an opera stage manager, where he faced unique challenges, such as reading modern music and manuscripts, which have significantly contributed to his growth.
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