Third year law student Will Simpson did not initially apply to law school with the intention of studying privacy law. After graduation, however, he will join the IAPP as a Westin Fellow.
IAPP is the world’s largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to privacy law and data protection. It provides education, certification, research, and networking opportunities for privacy professionals across industries and boasts a robust research program, which Simpson will be a part of. Simpson said the opportunities provided by Maine Law not only assisted in the receipt of this fellowship but also helped him find his way into the privacy law world three years ago.
“I applied to law school thinking I wanted to study something around technology and intellectual property,” Simpson recalled. “Thanks to the professors I developed relationships with and the courses I took, however, I realized what I was really interested in was privacy law, which implicates both of those things. I was also watching what was going on in the world – tech companies becoming increasingly powerful and pervasive – and realized that on the other side of that equation is privacy law.”
During his time at Maine Law, Simpson took advantage of every opportunity that came his way to learn more about privacy law and connect with students and professionals in the field. “I’ve really committed myself to privacy and jumped at every opportunity the school offered. Many of those opportunities came because of Maine Law’s close working relationship with IAPP,” he said. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work and I feel like that work is paying off.”
The fellowship is for one year, and Simpson said he’ll likely be working to track and parse changes to state laws and AI governance, supporting IAPP’s overall mission of helping the general public and professionals better understand and interact with the ever evolving landscape of privacy law.
“Fellows are given a wide range of issues to cover, and often contribute scholarship to IAPP research and publications. They also have the chance to attend IAPP events and engage with some of the top privacy and AI governance professionals in the world,” Trevor Hughes ‘95, President and CEO of IAPP, said.
It’s difficult to know exactly what he’ll be working on, Simpson added, precisely because of that rapidly shifting environment. Of course, the fast-paced nature of the field, with its many emergent challenges, is what drew Simpson to the field initially, and he feels ready to tackle any issues that may arise.
“I feel so lucky to have been part of the privacy program at Maine Law and feel super prepared for this position and whatever follows,” Simpson said.
Hughes added that a Westin Fellowship positions participants well to become movers and shakers in the privacy world.
“We are delighted to have Will joining us later this year,” he said. “ Our fellows go on to high-profile roles in the digital responsibility world, and we have great expectations for his time with us and the many years beyond.”
