Lessig supported the government's contention that regulation was necessary because "tying" or bundling the Windows operating system with Internet Explorer restricted the freedom of the user to choose his or her own browser.

"The choice is not between regulation and no regulation," wrote Lessig in a recent article in The American Prospect. "The choice is whether we architect the network to give power to network owners to regulate innovation, or whether we architect it to remove that power to regulate."

In addition to his role in the Microsoft case, Lessig recently published a well-reviewed book, Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace.

Ogletree said that Lessig enjoyed his teaching responsibilities at Harvard but found it increasingly difficult to teach on the East Coast and spend time with his wife.

"He really struggled with this," said Ogletree.

Lessig's Stanford appointment, according to the Stanford Law School website, is pending formal approval by the university's Advisory Board and president