Nina-Simone Edwards

Who are you? Tell us about yourself!

I am a recent Georgetown Law graduate and a 2023-2024 IAPP Westin Scholar! Starting in July, I will be a Senior Institute Associate at the Tech Institute, where I will contribute to the Redesigning the Governance Stack project. I am extremely interested in all things privacy and look forward to a legal academic career exploring what privacy means for historically disadvantaged communities.

Congratulations on winning this year’s Westin Award! Can you tell us the most interesting privacy issues you studied or projects you worked on at Georgetown?

I was fortunate to serve as a Research Assistant and later as a Fritz Family Fellow at the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown. I helped with the Cop Out event, a worker surveillance project, and a DNA/Fourth Amendment project, all of which were rewarding and educational experiences. Additionally, I was part of the Technology Impact Lab, where my team helped the Colorado Attorney General’s office understand the real-world applications of their newly enacted privacy law. We focused on children’s privacy and discovered that many apps and websites did not adequately prioritize privacy for kids. I also worked on a side project replicating an Accountable Tech study on phone privacy and location history. While in school, I wrote two notes (one published and one pending publication): one on the lack of privacy rights for noncitizens in the U.S. and another on how Terry stops frequently violate the privacy of African Americans. I also wrote a small article on potential constitutional protections for communicative evidence, with a focus on privacy, in the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Magazine.

What have you enjoyed most about the tech and policy experiences offered at Georgetown Law?

I entered law school with the intent to become an immigration attorney but soon realized I wasn’t emotionally equipped for that work. Through my research assistantship with Professor Amanda Levendowski, I was introduced to the intersection of technology and law and discovered that I could still support historically disadvantaged communities through academic analysis and advocacy for their rights. I then became as involved as I could. I was a student attorney in the Intellectual Property and Information Policy Clinic, a member and later managing editor of the Georgetown Law Technology Review, and I enrolled in as many tech-related classes as I could. Beyond the welcoming community, I appreciated the limitless opportunities for tech and policy experiences at Georgetown Law. I learned to code, attended a variety of fun and educational events, and discovered that privacy spans nearly every area of law and is a universal right everyone should understand and have.

What was your favorite part about working with the Georgetown Law Technology Review?

I joined the Georgetown Law Journal and the Georgetown Law Technology Review simultaneously but chose to take on a larger leadership role with GLTR because I genuinely enjoyed working on each piece we edited. My broad interest in tech law and policy allowed me to enjoy both privacy-specific articles and those with a strong technological focus, as there was always something new to learn. Working with the best Editor-in-Chief ever, Sherry Tseng, and my fellow Managing Editors, Bre de Vera and Sydney Brinker, was an absolute pleasure.

What has your experience been like working as a Google Public Policy Fellow? What does your work encompass?

As a Google Public Policy Fellow at TechFreedom, I contribute to various research and writing projects, and it has been great to use the research and writing skills gained in law school. Over the past few years, I have enjoyed working with different tech policy organizations to learn about tech policy from the organizations that are on the ground, doing the work.

What interests do you have outside of law?

I’m a Zumba instructor, teaching classes on Georgetown Law’s campus (come dance with me!). I also play piano in my church’s band and occasionally audition for plays and musicals. I love reading fiction and am a bookstagrammer, which means I receive free books and post about them on Instagram! I also have a passion for plants and enjoy boxing a few times a week.