Dr. Geist is a law Professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in internet and e-commerce law. He has obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees from Cambridge University, UK, and Columbia Law School in New York, and a Doctorate in Law (J.S.D.) from Columbia Law School.

He has written numerous academic articles and government reports on internet law and was a member of Canada’s National Task Force on Spam. He is an internationally syndicated columnist on technology law issues with his regular column appearing in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, and the BBC. Dr. Geist is the editor of In the Public Interest: The Future of Canadian Copyright Law, published in 2005 by Irwin Law, the editor of several monthly technology law publications, and the author of a popular blog on Internet and intellectual property law issues.

Geist serves on the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s Expert Advisory Board, on the Canadian Digital Information Strategy’s Review Panel, and on the Information Program Sub-Board of the Open Society Institute. He has received numerous awards for his work including the Les Fowlie Award for Intellectual Freedom from the Ontario Library Association (2009), the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award (2008), and Canarie’s IWAY Public Leadership Award for his contribution to the development of the Internet in Canada. He was named one of Canada’s "Top 40 Under 40" (2003).