Internet Law and Policy Foundry Announces its 2017 Class of Fellows
The Internet Law and Policy Foundry (the Foundry) is proud to announce its second class of Fellows.The 2017 Fellows Class consists of 57 future leaders in Internet law and policy. The Fellows are students and early career professionals from leading Internet companies, law and professional services firms, top universities, and major nonprofits.
The Foundry is a project that aims to bring together a cadre of future leaders in the Internet law and public policy space. At the center of the Foundry are its Fellows, students and early career professionals with a strong interest and track record in Internet law and policy. The Fellows run the Foundry, putting together events and content of interest to the technology, law, and public policy communities.
The 2017 Fellows will begin running the Internet networking and education group by the Fall of 2017. The Foundry chooses a new cohort of Fellows through a competitive process every two years. The inaugural Class of Fellows was selected in 2015, and will transition out of their Fellow roles as the 2017 Fellows ramp up their activities over the summer.
The 2017 Class represents diversity in demographics, geography, ideology, and skillsets. While many Fellows are lawyers, the class also includes social science researchers, journalists, and communications experts. Several fellows have backgrounds as programmers, engineers, data analysts, and in similar technical roles.
Geography of the 2017 Class of Fellows
The Foundry is based in Washington, DC. The 2017 Fellows, however, are a geographically diverse group. Of the 57 Fellows:
- 23 are in Washington, DC
- 17 are in the Bay Area
- 7 are in New York City
- Others are in Seattle; Portland; Houston; San Diego; South Bend, Indiana; New Haven, Connecticut; Western Massachusetts; and Baltimore.
How the Fellows are Selected
Foundry Fellows are chosen through a competitive process. The Foundry began requesting applications for the 2017 Class of Fellows in late summer of 2016, and the Inaugural Class reviewed applications through February of this year. For its Fellows, the Foundry seeks “doers” who are interested in the Foundry’s activities, have a passion for technology, and can provide diverse perspectives on Internet Law and Policy issues.
Internet Education Foundation
The Foundry is a project of the Internet Education Foundation (IEF), which runs the Congressional App Challenge and the annual State of the Net conference in Washington, DC, perhaps the best known conference on Internet policy issues. IEF also runs the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee, which hosts a long running series of technology briefings on Capitol Hill.
The IEF launched the Foundry to fill a gap: before the Foundry there were few if any professional organizations for lawyers and policy experts focused specifically on Internet law and policy, despite growing interest in the field. The Foundry also provides opportunities for students and early career professionals to provide leadership and showcase their skills, distinguishing it from well established niche bar associations and other professional groups.
You can read more about the Foundry on its website: http://www.ilpfoundry.us/
See the 2017 Class of Fellows at: http://www.ilpfoundry.us/about/2017class/
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