A remotely recorded podcast featuring Jason Reinecke (Law School Profile), Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin.

For the 49th episode of the Wisconsin Law in Action podcast, Professor Jason Reinecke discusses a wide variety of hot button topics in law practice and legal academia. Prof. Reinecke begins by tracing his interest in innovation policy and how his background as a mechanical engineer has influenced his career in law. This experience has helped illuminate why patent law matters. Prof. Reinecke explains how patents drive innovation but also must carefully balance policy to not price people out of markets.

Drawing on his clerkship with Federal Circuit Chief Judge Sharon Prost, Prof. Reinecke describes his empirical research showing that while judicial panel composition affects outcomes, the governing law matters even more. He argues good lawyers must “read between the lines” of opinions to grasp the policy preferences judges bring to cases. On AI, he flags unresolved questions around copyright and fair use, and suggests cheaper innovation may justify fewer patents. He closes by discussing his paper “Can AI Hold Office Hours?”, which found AI gives fluent but sometimes deceptively wrong answers.

The interview was conducted on August 19, 2026 | 33:43 minutes; published September 21, 2026. Transcript file (PDF).

Links to the Podcast: Soundcloud | Apple Podcast  | Spotify