Bio
Aaron Shull is a CIGI senior fellow. He is also the principal of Shull Law Professional Corporation. He is recognized as a leading expert on complex issues at the intersection of law, emerging technology and national security, including cybersecurity, privacy and data protection, artificial intelligence (AI) governance and democratic resilience.
At CIGI, Aaron’s work focuses on space, national security, cybersecurity, AI and human rights, examining how emerging technologies are reshaping both the security landscape and the protection of fundamental rights.
Aaron joined CIGI in 2013 and went on to serve as managing director and general counsel, and later as research director of digitalization, security and democracy. In that role, he led research and policy engagement on how digital transformation is reshaping national and international security, democratic governance and public trust. That work included AI, cyberthreats, surveillance, disinformation and foreign interference, as well as the evolving role of private sector actors in security and governance.
Through Shull Law, he advises business and government clients on cybersecurity and incident response, privacy and data protection, AI governance, corporate matters and technology-related disputes.
As a legal and national security analyst, Aaron has written for The Globe and Mail, The Hill Times, the National Post and the Toronto Star. He contributes frequently to the media, with live interviews on CBC News, CTV and BNN Bloomberg, among others. He has spoken on expert panels and delivered keynote lectures internationally, including at the International Bar Association, RightsCon and the annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial information and privacy commissioners and ombuds.
He has provided expert testimony to parliamentary committees in both the House of Commons and the Senate. These include the Standing Committee on National Defence, the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, and the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs.
Aaron has held teaching appointments at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) and Wilfrid Laurier University. He also serves on the board of the Law Commission of Ontario.
Aaron holds an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, where he graduated as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He earned his J.D. from the University of Ottawa (cum laude, first-class honours), an M.A. in international affairs from NPSIA (with distinction), and a B.A. in political science and history from the University of Waterloo, where he graduated first in his class and was recognized as the departmental scholar.