Title: Director Emeritus
Company: Legal Information Institute
Location: Ithaca, New York, United States
Thomas R. Bruce, director emeritus at the Legal Information Institute, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Artists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in fine art.
With nearly five decades of experience, Mr. Bruce has established himself as a distinguished professional in both the arts and legal services. He laid a solid foundation for his future success by earning a Bachelor of Arts from Yale in 1974 and a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale University School of Drama in 1979. Reflecting on his career, he initially worked as a professional stage manager, a role he held until 1987. His notable positions in the arts include stage manager for the Greater Miami Opera from 1980 to 1987, production stage manager for the Texas Opera Theatre from 1982 to 1983, resident stage manager for the American Repertory Theater from 1980 to 1981, and director of special technical projects for the Spoleto Festival USA from 1976 to 1979.
Transitioning to a career in legal services, Mr. Bruce worked as a software developer, having learned programming while studying at Yale Drama School. He was hired as a software developer at Cornell University in 1987, where he co-founded the Legal Information Institute. Since 2019, he has served as director emeritus at the Legal Information Institute, the first institution to distribute legal information worldwide. His responsibilities have included serving as an expert witness, predominantly in patent suits. Additionally, he has been a member of the scientific advisory board for the Springer Law, Governance and Technology series and a consultant for the African Legal Information Institute since 2011. From 1992 to 2019, he served as director of the Legal Information Institute, reviewed for conference program committees from 2007 to 2019, and was on the board of directors for the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research from 2011 to 2018.
In 2017, Mr. Bruce served as a witness for the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and was a steering committee member for the Poli-Informatics Research Network from 2013 to 2016. Additionally, he was on the board of directors for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction from 1995 to 2014, an invited expert at the Hague Conference on Private International Law in 2012, and served as a witness for the Committee on House Administration of the US House of Representatives in 2011. His other roles included consultant for the Global Study on Free Access to Law with SAFLII/LexUM from 2008 to 2009, digital projects consultant for the Harvard Law School Library from 1998 to 2009, member of the ABA Committee on the Status and Future of Federal e-Rulemaking from 2007 to 2008, invited expert at the Hague Conference on Private International Law in 2008, and library development consultant for the SIDA project for Strengthening Legal Education in Vietnam from 2006 to 2007. He also served as a senior international fellow at the University of Melbourne School of Law from 2000 to 2001, director of educational technologies at Cornell Law School from 1988 to 1992, and has contributed as the editor of the Journal of Open Access to Law since 2013.
Mr. Bruce takes great pride in successfully managing the Legal Information Institute. Upon his retirement, a law professor in Columbus praised him as an innovative figure in legal education who brought clarity to the law for those who abide by it. In recognition of his impressive undertakings, he was named to the Fastcase 50 Inaugural Class by Fastcase in 2011 and to the Legal Rebel Inaugural Class by the ABA Journal in 2009. He also received the Bert Gruver Prize from the Yale School of Drama in 1979. He attributes his success to his intelligence and ability to quickly learn new things, which has been a critical factor in his achievements. Looking ahead, his primary objective is to enhance his musicianship skills through sustained and consistent progress.
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