Meet The Team: Q&A With Emerald
What brings you to the Center on Privacy & Technology?
I recently graduated from the UC Davis School of Law. Before law school, I spent a little over a year working in and around the California State Capitol, where I was first introduced to issues of technology policy. After engaging with different industry and public interest stakeholders, I decided to go back to school and try to eventually land in the field of privacy. As a law student, I was able to explore my interests through internships, clinics, and student organizations. From these experiences, I learned that I want to work with groups like the Center on Privacy & Technology to help expose and mitigate the impacts of surveillance on historically marginalized communities.
What workstream are you most excited to work on or tap into while at the Center on Privacy & Technology?
Immigrant Surveillance. Last summer, I was an intern at Just Futures Law (JFL). One of my first projects involved organizing hundreds of documents in a case against money transfer companies who shared sensitive personal information with law enforcement, including ICE. I also assisted JFL in preparing a lawsuit filed on behalf of Chicago-area immigrant rights groups against a powerful data broker, LexisNexis. I look forward to continuing to expose the data-sharing relationships between commercial entities and immigration enforcement during my time at the Center on Privacy & Technology.
What area of privacy work are you most excited to learn more about during your fellowship?
Reproductive Justice. After the fall of Roe, reproductive justice groups were reasonably concerned about data privacy, and I remember advocates in other organizing spaces (like immigrant rights) stepping up to share valuable resources. I’m interested in learning about ways to support reproductive justice advocates in combating the digital surveillance of those seeking care.
School just started around the country. What advice do you have for a 1L?
When I was a 1L, an upperclassman shared with me the “Welcome to Law School” podcast by 5–4. I highly recommend listening if you’re a person of color and/or queer, and/or come to law school with any other marginalized identities. Some takeaways:
- Stick to your values. There’s a reason you came to law school, and you don’t have to abandon that to achieve success. You will constantly be told to obsess over your grades, join Law Review, and land a corporate law job or a prestigious clerkship. If those things will not help you do what you came to law school to do, you do not have to buy into that messaging.
- Be nice and make friends. The connections you make during law school are a huge asset. As a student, you are in school to learn. And part of that learning involves fostering relationships with your peers to help you navigate your law school journey.
- Diversify your skillset. Practical experience is valuable, and so is having a diversity of experience. If you don’t know what area of law you want to pursue, be open to trying new things (including the scary ones). If you’re like how I was as a 1L and curious about the intersection of law and tech, think about working not only in firms or in-house but also at government offices, nonprofits, and research institutes. Doing this early on in your law school journey will give you a better understanding of what opportunities are available to you. You’ll also find that the diverse network you build along the way is a huge value-add to employers.
Similarly, what advice do you have for 3Ls facing the fellowship and job market?
- Be patient, and do not be driven by fear. If you’re reading this and do not have anything lined up for what you’re doing after graduation and/or the Bar Exam, it’s okay. Many employers work with tight budgets and can only hire when there’s an opening, so lots of new opportunities will pop up well into the spring. They may even be a better fit for you.
- Take a break (or schedule time for one). Law school is notoriously difficult, so I’m sure it’s been a long road to get here. It’s okay to schedule a day off (or two) during the semester. You wouldn’t want to burn out before you get to the finish line.
What do you do outside of work?
Rock climbing, baking, and curating playlists.
