Meet the Team
CILS Director and Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law Peter Lee teaches and writes in the field of innovation law and policy. His research focuses on patent law and other fields of intellectual property, technology transfer, artificial intelligence (AI), and science policy. His recent scholarly works explore the social context and implications of innovation and the structure of innovative and creative industries. Professor Lee’s scholarship has appeared in The Yale Law Journal, Stanford Law Review, California Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Michigan Law Review, and other leading journals. Professor Lee is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and he has received numerous awards for his scholarly work, including the UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellowship, the Samsung-Stanford Patent Prize, and inclusion in West/Thomson’s annual Intellectual Property Law Review. Professor Lee has held visiting or invited positions at the University of Oxford, Seoul National University, and Melbourne Law School, and he speaks widely on intellectual property matters in the United States and abroad. He is the founding director of CILS. Click here for full profile.
Alyssa Ball is the Student Fellow at the UC Davis Center for Innovation, Law, and Society. Drawing on her background in microbiology, she has a particular interest in the intersection of law and technology. In her role at the Center, she helps connect students with opportunities to participate in its programs and events.
Sue Walther Jones joined the Law Centers as Associate Director in 2025 after staffing the UC Davis Law Review for 19 years. Before coming to the UC Davis School of Law, she worked in higher education textbook publishing and university communications.
Jesus Barraza Garcia serves as the Program Coordinator at the UC Davis School of Law, supporting interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Center for Innovation, Law, and Society. He is passionate about creating impactful learning environments and is dedicated to connecting people and ideas that drive positive change.