Blake Klinkner

Blake Klinkner

  • Assistant Professor, School of Law

Contact Info

Office Address

Law School Room 300
215 Centennial Drive Stop 9003
Grand Forks, ND 58202-9003

Biography

Professor Blake A. Klinkner is an award-winning legal educator. Professor Klinkner teaches Civil Procedure, Cybersecurity Law, Law & Technology, Law Practice Management, and International Law. Early in his teaching career, Professor Klinkner was voted the 2022/2023 Professor of the Year by the graduating class at Washburn University School of Law, where Professor Klinkner served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Law. In 2024, the University of North Dakota honored Professor Klinkner with the Outstanding Advisor Award. Also in 2024, the law student body voted Professor Klinkner as the "Funniest Professor" at the law school. The Class of 2025 selected Professor Klinkner to serve as the keynote speaker at their graduation banquet.  

Professor Klinkner completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (Bonn, Germany), earning a triple major in German Language & Culture, Political Science, and International Relations, as well as a Certificate in European Studies. At the University of Wisconsin, Professor Klinkner was elected by the graduating class to deliver the commencement speech on behalf of the graduates.

Professor Klinkner earned a Master of Arts in Political Science from Northern Illinois University, earning dual distinctions in Comparative Politics & Government and International Relations. In satisfaction of his thesis requirements, Professor Klinkner authored 2 starred papers, one analyzing Chinese counterterrorism policy, and another analyzing environmental movements in East Germany and West Germany. Following graduate school, Professor Klinkner served as an Environmental Consultant in Chicago, during which time he represented a variety of public and private sector clients, including clients embroiled in litigation. 

Serving as an environmental litigation consultant inspired Professor Klinkner to attend law school, and Professor Klinkner earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Utah College of Law. During law school, Professor Klinkner served as the State Litigation Coordinator for the United States Bureau of Land Management - Utah State Office. As a law student, Professor Klinkner also served as a member of the Global Justice Think Tank, where he conducted research and wrote policy papers on a variety of issues including political economic development, international security, rule of law initiatives, and strengthening democratic institutions. At his law school commencement ceremony, Professor Klinkner had the honor of being selected to speak on behalf of the graduating class. 

Before entering academia, Professor Klinkner represented clients throughout Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah in litigation and transactional matters. As a practicing attorney, Professor Klinkner took numerous cases through trial, including multi-week and multi-million-dollar trials. Professor Klinkner also litigated a variety of cases through state and federal appellate courts. Professor Klinkner's practice focused on the areas of environmental law, natural resources law, energy law, cybersecurity and technology law, and complex commercial litigation. Throughout his legal career, Professor Klinkner has served in a variety of roles including as a Law Clerk, as an Assistant Attorney General, and as an Associate Attorney at a regional law firm. Additionally, Professor Klinkner owned his own law firm immediately prior to entering academia. 

Professor Klinkner is active in bar leadership and service. Professor Klinkner passed the bar exam in 3 different states, and has been admitted to practice law in the state and federal courts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and in the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Professor Klinkner served as President of the Wyoming State Bar Young Lawyers Section, and as the District Representative for Wyoming & Colorado to the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, during which time Professor Klinkner received the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Star of the Quarter Award. Professor Klinkner has received a number of American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Presidential Appointments, including appointments as a Board Member to the Public Service Committee, Board Member of the Selection Committee for the National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, Vice-Director for Affiliates Assistance, and Liaison to the American Bar Association Law Student Division.

Professor Klinkner frequently publishes articles and presents lectures within the area of Law & Technology. Professor Klinkner has published over 50 articles in law reviews and bar journals. Professor Klinkner has his own column, Tech Tips, in the Wyoming bar journal, in which he discusses the latest trends, developments, and issues pertaining to Law & Technology. Professor Klinkner is an in-demand Continuing Legal Education (CLE) presenter, and he is frequently invited to travel around the country to present CLE. Professor Klinkner is often interviewed by national and world news outlets to provide commentary on legal developments. 

In his free time, Professor Klinkner enjoys world travel. Professor Klinkner especially enjoys traveling throughout Europe, which he visits every year. Professor Klinkner also enjoys traveling throughout the United States, especially to visit national parks, historical sites, and the downtowns of America’s coolest cities and towns. In the summer, Professor Klinkner enjoys hiking, fishing, camping, tennis, and the water, and in the winter he enjoys cross-country skiing and curling. Year-round, Professor Klinkner enjoys visiting museums and art galleries, wine tastings and microbreweries, reading in history and the social sciences, cooking German cuisine, and cheering on Wisconsin’s sports teams.

• Civil Procedure

• Law & Technology

• Cybersecurity Law

• Law Practice Management 

• International Law 

• Bachelor of Arts in German Language & Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Certificate in European Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Master of Arts in Political Science, Northern Illinois University

• Juris Doctor, University of Utah (S.J. Quinney College of Law)

  • Anaerobic Digestion As A Renewable Energy Source and Waste Management Technology: What Must Be Done For This Technology to Realize Success in the United States?, 9 University of Massachusetts Law Review 68 (January 2014)
  • Metadata: What Is It? How Can It Get Me Into Trouble? What Can I Do About It?, The Wyoming Lawyer (April 2014)
  • Metadata Redux: Now You’re Telling Me I Need to Provide Metadata to the Opposing Side?, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2014)
  • Protecting Your Law Office Against Data Breaches and Other Cyber Threats, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2015)
  • Digital Evidence and the Fourth Amendment: United States v. Ganias and Judicial Recognition of the “Right to Deletion”, The Wyoming Lawyer (April 2015)
  • Data Breach Lawsuits and Article III Standing: Will the United States Supreme Court Make It Easier for Identity Theft Victims to Have Their Day in Court?, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2015)
  • Social Media and the Rules of Professional Conduct – When Is an Attorney’s Social Media Account Subject to the Advertising and Solicitation Rules?, The Wyoming Lawyer (August 2015)
  • Electronic Discovery and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: What You Should Know About Upcoming Amendments to the Rules, The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2015)
  • Text Messages and Spoliation: A Couple Lessons from Recent Case Law, The Wyoming Lawyer (December 2015)
  • Yet Another Example of Why You Should Always Lock Your Phone (and Start Asking Interlocutors to Do the Same), The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2016)
  • Will Online Law Degrees Be the Future of Legal Education?, The Wyoming Lawyer (April 2016)
  • Using Social Media to Effectuate Service of Process, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2016)
  • Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins: Plaintiffs and Defendants Both Claim Victory in a Case Addressing Article III Standing to Sue Over Technology-Related Claims, The Wyoming Lawyer (August 2016)
  • Don’t Let Your Rental Car Steal Your Data, The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2016)
  • Keep Your Data Safe This Holiday Shopping Season, The Wyoming Lawyer (December 2016)
  • Artificial Intelligence & Virtual Law Offices Expected to Be Top Technological Trends Impacting the Legal Profession in 2017, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2017)
  • Do You Have a First Amendment Right to Social Media?, The Wyoming Lawyer (April 2017)
  • Technological Savvy & the Attorney’s Ethical Duty of Competency, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2017)
  • Yes, You Do Have a First Amendment Right to Social Media, The Wyoming Lawyer (August 2017)
  • What Does the Equifax Data Breach Mean for You?, The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2017)
  • United States v. Microsoft: Are Emails Stored on Foreign Computer Servers Off-Limits to Warrants Issued by American Judges?, The Wyoming Lawyer (December 2017)
  • Virtual Offices, Technology, and Ethical Considerations, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2018)
  • Avoid Social Media Oversharing & Other Tips for a Safer Social Media Presence, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2018)
  • The 2018 Legislative Session Proved that Wyoming is a National Leader in Advancing with Technology, The Wyoming Lawyer (April 2018)
  • An Impatient Congress Passes the CLOUD Act to Clarify the Extraterritorialty of Warrant Applications for Emails and Other Digital Records Stored Abroad, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2018)
  • In Ruling that Cell Phone Tracking Information is Subject to 4th Amendment Warrant Requirements, the U.S. Supreme Court Hopes Not to “Embarrass the Future,” The Wyoming Lawyer (August 2018)
  • Inviting the Spy Into Your Office? Ethical Concerns Involving Attorney Use of Digital Assistants, The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2018)
  • Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Legal Profession, The Wyoming Lawyer (December 2018)
  • How and When Should Attorneys Respond to Negative Online Reviews?, The Wyoming Lawyer (December 2018)
  • Understanding the Changing Landscape of Data Protection Laws, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2019)
  • When Can Being Facebook “Friends” with the Judge Lead to Judicial Disqualification?, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2019)
  • Facial Recognition Technology, Biometric Identifiers, and Standing to Litigate Invasions of Digital Privacy, The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2019)
  • Law Firm Automation, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2020)
  • Tips for Professional and Secure Zoom Meetings, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2020)
  • Don’t Allow Yourself to Become a Victim of “Vishing,” The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2020)
  • Social Media, Jury Trials and the Threat to the Rule of Law, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2021) (Reprinted in Advocacy: The Art of Pleading a Cause, 3d (Trial Practice Series), West Legal Publishing, Thomson Reuters, 2021-2022 Supplement)
  • Best Tips for Healthy & Happy Videoconferencing, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2021)
  • The Devil in the Details: Privacy Policies of Cell Phone Providers and Popular Apps, The Wyoming Lawyer (April 2021)
  • Working Remotely During the Pandemic (and Beyond): How Remote Technologies Can Implicate Your Ethical Duties, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2021)
  • Avoid These “Bad Practices” to Help Minimize Organizational Risk for Data Breaches, Unauthorized Access and Cyberattacks, The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2021)
  • Should Still Photos Derived from a Video Be Automatically Admissible Along with the Video Itself?, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2022)
  • When Do Technical Issues in Remote Proceedings Amount to Violations of the Right to Due Process?, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2022)
  • Can Room Scans Prior to Remote Examination Constitute a Violation of the Fourth Amendment?, The Wyoming Lawyer (October 2022)
  • Could Recent Legislation Require Businesses to Verify the Age (and Identities) of All Online Users?, The Wyoming Lawyer (February 2023)
  • Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Law Office Data Practices, The Wyoming Lawyer (April 2023)
  • What Attorneys Should Know About Deepfakes, The Wyoming Lawyer (June 2023)

  • So, You Want to Be a Law Professor? Advice for Entering the Legal Academy, American Bar Association Western States Conference (April 2023)
  • Social Media, Jury Trials, and the Right to a Fair Trial, American Bar Association Western States Conference (April 2023)
  • The Changing Landscape of eDiscovery, Legal Assistants of Wyoming Annual Conference (April 2023)
  • Exposing the Boogeyman of “Unreliable” Electronically Stored Information: A Call for a Return to 20-Year-Old Ancient Documents as an Exception to the Rule Against Hearsay, The Central States Law Schools Association 2022 Annual Scholarship Conference (September 2022)
  • Is Discovery Becoming More Proportional? A Quantitative Assessment of Discovery Orders Following the 2015 Proportionality Amendment to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26, The Central States Law Schools Association 2021 Annual Scholarship Conference (September 2021)
  • Social Media, Jury Trials, and the Right to a Fair Trial, Washburn University School of Law Annual CLE Program (June 2021)
  • Law, Technology, & Ethics, Washburn University School of Law Annual CLE Excursion (July 2020)
  • Cybersecurity & Attorney Ethics, Topeka Bar Association 2020 Board Blast CLE (June 2020)
  • Ethical Considerations in the Use of Technology, Washburn Annual CLE Program (June 2020)
  • Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence, Washburn Annual CLE Program (June 2020)
  • Cybersecurity & Attorney Ethics, Wyoming State Bar Continuing Legal Education (June 2017)
  • Don’t Click That: Know the Risks to Your Data, Center for American and International Law – Institute for Energy Law National Young Energy Professionals Conference (March 2017)
  • Law, Technology, & Ethics, American Bar Association Regional Summit (April 2016)
  • Law, Technology, and 2015: The Year in Review, Wyoming State Bar CLE Webinar (December 2015)
  • Electronic Discovery & Digital Evidence, Wyoming State Bar Annual Meeting (September 2015)
  • Law, Technology, & Ethics, Laramie County Bar Association (May 2015)
  • Technology & Ethics, Wyoming Public Defenders Annual Conference (October 2014)
  • The Future of Law, University of Wyoming College of Law – Law Week (October 2014)
  • Everything You Wanted to Know About Microsoft Office But Were Afraid (or Didn’t Know) to Ask, Wyoming State Bar Annual Meeting (September 2014)
  • Practice of Law in the Digital Era, Wyoming State Bar Annual Meeting (September 2014)

  • State and Federal Courts of Colorado (2016)
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2015)
  • State and Federal Courts of Wyoming (2013)
  • State and Federal Courts of Utah (2012)
  • American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Presidential Appointment – Liaison to the Law Student Division (2018-2020)
  • American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Presidential Appointment – Vice-Director for Affiliates Assistance (2018-2019)
  • American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Presidential Appointment – Selection Committee for the National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (2018-2019)
  • American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Presidential Appointment – Public Service Team (2016-2017)
  • American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division District Representative for Colorado & Wyoming (2015-2017)
  • Vice-Chair of the Wyoming State Bar Energy & Natural Resources Section (2016-2017)
  • President of the Wyoming State Bar Young Lawyers Section (2014-2015)

  • 2022/2023 Professor of the Year (Washburn University School of Law)
  • 2024 Recipient of the University of North Dakota Outstanding Advisor Award
  • Voted by the law student body as the Funniest Professor at UND Law (2024)
  • Selected by the Class of 2025 to serve as the keynote speaker at the law school graduation banquet
Edit Profile

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.

By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies, Privacy Information.