Gene Koo

59 Magee Street                                                                                                                     
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
617.202.3526
gene@anderkoo.com

Experience

Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society

2006-present

Fellow. Research effect of new technologies on the practice and teaching of law.

• Organized 2008 Harvard Internet & Politics Conference of campaign managers, scholars
• Designed and implemented Our Fair City, an online game scaffolding real-world civic engagement
• Pioneered open-access legal education courses within online virtual worlds

Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction

2007-present

Project Manager. Research, design, develop, and promulgate innovations in legal education.

• Develop eLangdell, a Web service for professors to share textbooks using Open Source methods
• Support skills-based teaching and learning using video annotation and other advanced tools

Hub2

2007- 2009

Co-Director. Co-founded program enabling neighborhood residents to participate in the design of public spaces using 3D technology. Winner of 2009 MacArthur Digital Media & Learning Contest.

• Oversaw engagement with Harvard Allston Development Group, Boston Redevelopment Authority
• Hired and supervised staff, convened weekly meetings, ensured fiscal soundness

Center for Legal Aid Education

2003- 2007

Co-Founder & Director of Online Education. Developed Web-based training programs for poverty lawyers nationwide.

• Conducted market research, outreach, sales; pursued strategic partnerships.
• Ran alpha and beta tests of pilot courses; evaluated for pedagogical and technical improvements
• Developed business plan for sustainability after spinning off as separate 501(c)3

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

2002- 2006

Project Manager. Planned, designed, and managed statewide poverty law website for legal services advocates, pro bono attorneys, and the general public, with goal of improving overall delivery of legal aid to underprivileged.

• Built an online library of over 8,000 separate resources, including judicial and administrative decisions and agency sub-regulatory rules
• Worked with MA court system to expand access to judicial information
• Helped statewide technology committee to upgrade local programs’ data and reporting systems

Publications

• “Moral and character development in video game learning,” in Paul Maharg (Ed.), Learning Through Play, MIT Press (forthcoming 2009).
• “Placeworlds: Using Virtual Worlds to Foster Civic Engagement” (with Eric Gordon), Space and Culture 11:3 (August 2008).
•  “Creating Humane Codelaw,” in Allison Fine, Micah Sifry, Andrew Rasiej, Josh Levy (Eds.), Rebooting America: Ideas for redesigning American democracy for the Internet age, Personal Democracy Press, 2008.
•  “New Skills, New Learning: Legal Education and the Promise of New Technology,” Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School research whitepaper 2007-4, 2007.

Project Portfolio

• Representing the Whole Client: Cognitive Disabilities, Representing the Whole Client: Asperger's Syndrome. Instructional videos developed for the Center for Legal Aid Education, intended to teach advocates how to work with clients with mental disabilities. Project role: Executive producer, scriptwriter. (2007)
• MassLegalServices. Knowledge management system for Massachusetts legal aid advocates to share materials and information. (2002-7)
• MassLegalHelp. Portal to educate Massachusetts residents about their rights and responsibilities. Project role: Project manager. (2002-6)
• Center for Ethics at Harvard University. Developed content management system in PHP, MySQL. (2002; site redesigned in 2009).

Education

Harvard Law School. J.D. cum laude, June 2002.

Additional coursework at Harvard Graduate School of Education (statistical policy research, Web-based learning), Harvard Business School (product development). Founder, Advocates for Education.

Harvard College. B.A. magna cum laude, Social Studies, June 1997.

Thesis: Representing Chinatown: Power and Legitimacy in Boston's Chinese Community (winner, 1997 Hoopes Prize).

Early Professional Experience

Second Kiss Wireless

Co-Founder and VP of Business Development, 1999-2001

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (Region IX)

Intern, 1999

Institute for Defense Analyses

Analyst, 1998

Other Activities

• Obama for America – SC primaries (Jan 2008) – assisted development of geolocation database at HQ, assisted in organizing staging location; MA, VT, PA primaries (Jan-Apr 2008) – voter registration and GOTV volunteer; Peterborough and Hillsborough, NH (Sep-Nov 2008) – GOTV volunteer. Regular blogger on Off the Bus and TechPresident. Quoted in Newsweek, Washington Post, XM POTUS.
• Games for Change, Boston regional organizer. Plan local events to promote pro-social video games, connect interested NGOs with potential developers.
• Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar.