Bernard K. Elegbede is an incoming 1L at the Washington University School of Law, where he has been awarded the Mound City Bar Foundation Emerging Scholar Award—a full-tuition merit scholarship. He brings to law school a rich background at the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology policy, and copyright law, shaped most notably through his work at Adobe.
Bernard joined Adobe as a Global Public Policy Specialist in June 2022 and has since played a key role in shaping the company’s position on emerging AI regulations. In July 2023, he contributed to drafting oral and written testimony for Adobe’s General Counsel ahead of a U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on AI and copyright. Before joining full-time, he interned with Adobe’s Public Policy and Government Relations team, where he earned the Legal Department’s top intern research project award for his analysis of AI and content provenance.
His broader policy experience includes roles at Boston Scientific, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and in multiple legislative offices at both the state and federal levels. Bernard earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and public policy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating in May 2022 with highest honors, a 4.0 GPA, and Bronze Tablet distinction— an honor reserved for the top 3% of the graduating class. A Chicago native and first-generation Nigerian American, he draws on both his academic training and lived experience to inform his approach to policy and advocacy.
Deeply committed to public service and legal advocacy, Bernard is driven to use his legal education to advance thoughtful policy at the intersection of law, technology, and equity.
