The Center on Law and Security, in cooperation with the Law School and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Security and Privacy at NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, has announced the ASPIRE scholarship, a new full-tuition scholarship for law students passionate about cybersecurity and committed to beginning their legal careers in government service.
The scholarship is part of the ASPIRE program (A Scholarship for Service Partnership for Interdisciplinary Research and Education), which is funded by the National Science Foundation and run in conjunction with NYU’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering. ASPIRE will provide students selected for the program with a rigorous interdisciplinary cybersecurity education, a full-tuition scholarship to NYU Law, a significant stipend, and a wide range of interdisciplinary academic opportunities with students and faculty from other NYU schools, including Poly, Stern, Wagner, Steinhardt, and Courant. Brian Eschels ’16 and David Krone ’16 have been chosen to receive this year’s ASPIRE scholarships.
The interdisciplinary nature of cybersecurity threats and responses makes it particularly apt for law students to participate alongside students from more technical disciplines. “Because so many of the most challenging issues in national security law today demand some degree of technical competence, the ASPIRE scholarship will ensure that NYU School of Law students are at the cutting edge in helping to solve some of our country’s most persistent and vexing security problems,” said Zachary Goldman ’09, executive director of the Center on Law and Security.
“This is an incredible opportunity for NYU students to engage in public service at the highest levels on some of the most pressing issues of public concern,” said Deirdre von Dornum, Assistant Dean for Public Interest at NYU School of Law. “The ASPIRE program is a demonstration of NYU School of Law’s ongoing commitment to public interest and public service.”
“This scholarship will allow me to do work that directly impacts the security and privacy experience of the everyday tech user,” said Eschels. “My hope is to be involved in a regulatory environment that will both empower non-criminal 'white hat' hackers—who can be instrumental in spotting security flaws—and crack down on companies running unacceptably insecure systems.”
Krone will also pursue an interest in technology, society and the law. “My goal is to work at a government agency providing counsel on issues ranging from system security compliance to the use of personal information,” he said.
Students selected for the program will enroll in a number of technical cyber-security courses at NYU Poly after their first year of law school, for which they will receive some credit towards their JD degree. Participating students are required to work at a state, local or federal government agency for two years after graduation, and to work in a government cybersecurity internship during the summer between their second and third years of law school.
Posted September 9, 2014