Research & publications
Research on AI, data and digital sovereignty.
My research sits at the meeting point of law and technology: the legal governance of artificial intelligence, data protection, and the institutions responsible for making both work in practice. The doctorate and the postdoctoral fellowship began this research program, and my advisory work draws on it.
Focus
What I research.
Legal governance of AI
How legal systems frame, constrain, and account for artificial intelligence, across jurisdictions and traditions.
Data protection & governance
Privacy law in practice, from Law 25 and PIPEDA to the operational habits that make compliance hold.
Smart cities & public-sector data
The governance of large data projects in the public sector, and the legal imaginary of the connected city.
AI in legal work
Responsible, verifiable use of generative AI by legal professionals, expressed in the JIRAF and JURIS protocols.
Doctoral & postdoctoral work
The foundation.
Law in the Present Future: Approaching the Legal Imaginary of Smart Cities with Science (and) Fiction
I completed a Doctorate in Law (LL.D.) at the Université de Montréal, under the supervision of Prof. Pierre Trudel, and was evaluated "Exceptional." The research explored the legal imaginary of smart cities through text mining, policy analysis, and science fiction, in connection with the Centre de recherche en droit public (CRDP, Public Law Research Centre) and the L. R. Wilson Chair in Information Technology and E-Commerce Law. Open access (Papyrus) →
Scotiabank Postdoctoral Fellow in AI and Regulation
University of Ottawa, AI + Society Initiative, Centre for Law, Technology and Society. I researched the application of data analytics to legal research, the governance of big-data projects in the public sector, and the ethical and intellectual-property questions raised by artificial intelligence.
Global Professional LL.M., Canadian Law in a Global Context
Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. Graduate study of Canadian law: constitutional, administrative, criminal, private and Aboriginal law, and professional responsibility.
Selected publications
Articles, chapters, and policy work.
Articles and conference papers
The Montreal Model for Integrating Ethics and Legal Compliance to Data Governance Frameworks for Smart City Projects
Diaz, J. & C. Therrien, in 2024 IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2) 1. doi: 10.1109/ISC260477.2024.11004227.
Legal Narratives of Smart Cities: Opacity, Intelligibility, and Compliancy in Projects, Norms, and Futures
Therrien, C., (2022) 27:4 Pensar – Revista de Ciências Jurídicas 1.
Law as Network and The Matrix: Over-affection for My Subject Made the Red Pill Hard to Swallow
Therrien, C., (2015) 3 Ch rech droit 19.
The Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet
Therrien, C. & P. Trudel, (2015) 20:3 Pensar 746.
Data Centres as Extractive Frontiers: Digital Infrastructure, Indigenous Self-Determination, and Climate Justice
Joca, Therrien & Linn, PKI Global Justice Journal, Faculty of Law, Queen's University, 2026.
Le droit (en réseau) du cyberespace: vers une herméneutique fractale de la régulation des environnements numériques
Therrien, C., Lex Electronica, special issue, 2026.
Federated AI Governance in Canada: A Sociotechnical Approach to Security, Privacy, and Transparency for Local Governments
Chatwin, M. & C. Therrien, Canadian Public Administration / Administration publique du Canada, 2026.
Book chapters
Do Québec ao Ceará
Souza, A. & C. Therrien, in Formação de professores e racionalidade pedagógica (Fortaleza: Editora da UECE, 2022).
Cidade futurista, inteligência artificial e ficção científica
Therrien, C., in Cidades inteligentes em perspectivas (Rio de Janeiro: Obliq/ITS, 2019).
Computação em nuvem e cidades inteligentes
Therrien, C., in Horizonte presente: tecnologia e sociedade em debate (Belo Horizonte: Casa do Direito; FGV, 2019).
Digitalization, Culture and Law
Gautrais, V. & C. Therrien, in Éthique et patrimoine culturel: regards croisés (Paris: L'Harmattan, 2016).
Beyond the CLOUD Act: Digital Sovereignty, Technological Hegemony and Institutional Pathways for Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Brazil
Therrien, C. & F. Cittolin Abal, in L. Parentoni, ed., Law, Technology and Innovation, vol. 8: AI Regulation Landscape (Belo Horizonte: Centro DTIBR, 2026).
Policy and professional publications
Generative AI in Your Organization: A Practical Guide to Creating an Internal Policy
Therrien, C. (Montréal: Open North, 2026).
Outil d'identification et de mitigation des risques
Therrien, C. (Montréal: Nord Ouvert, 2026).
Privacy Principles and Practices for Compliance with Law 25
Therrien, C. & S. Kohn (Montréal: Open North, 2026).
Data Privacy Policy: How to Write a Complete Draft
Batalla, C., C. Therrien & S. Kohn (Montréal: Open North, 2026).
Cybersecurity for Small and Medium-Sized Organizations
Therrien, C. et al. (Montréal: Open North, 2025).
O metaverso e seus horizontes políticos a partir do Sul Global
Therrien, C. (Rio de Janeiro: ITS Rio, 2023).
Applied work & named frameworks
From research to practice.
CanLex Atlas: the Canadian law and technology landscape
An independent research project I created to map the scholars, research centres and publications (2020 onward) of law and technology in Canada. Scholars and institutions can suggest a profile, an update or a correction. Explore the atlas →
JIRAF and JURIS: protocols for AI in legal work
A tool-agnostic system for orienting and verifying AI-assisted legal work, extending to a four-role framework for practitioners, researchers, teachers, and students. Read the protocols →
Testimony before the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Brazilian Chamber of Deputies
On AI infrastructure, regulatory sandboxes, and digital sovereignty. Watch the testimony →
Talks
Recent and upcoming.
When Best Practices Become Binding: Technical Standards, Legal Conformity, and Access to the Norms Governing Data and AI
Entre a dependência e a autonomia: hegemonia tecnológica e regulação da inteligência artificial no Canadá e na América Latina
Collaboration
Working together.
I welcome collaboration, guest lectures, co-authorship, and speaking invitations on the legal governance of AI, data protection, and the responsible use of AI in legal and policy work.