Current Scholars

Class of 2027

José Guillermo Gutiérrez ‘27 is interested in government accountability, surveillance technology, and civil rights and civil liberties issues in national security. In the summer after his first year, José interned at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and was a research assistant for Professors Adam Cox and Samuel Issacharoff. He is co-president of the Latinx Law Students Association, an editor on Law Review, and a student advocate in the Regulatory Policy Clinic, and will be part of the Rule of Law Practice Lab in the spring. Before law school, José was a research and program associate in the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty and National Security Program, where he focused on law enforcement’s surveillance of social media to target constitutionally protected activity and marginalized communities, as well as efforts to reform the Department of Homeland Security. He also served on the negotiation and executive committees of the Brennan Center’s staff union. Before joining the Brennan Center, he was a research volunteer on the Biden-Harris presidential transition and a domestic policy intern on the Biden-Harris campaign. José was born and raised in Mexico City, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. 

 

Sarah Wheaton ’27 is interested in the intersection of administrative law and economic policy, particularly as it relates to helping low-income families and communities. Before coming to NYU, she worked in economic policy for the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House Council of Economic Advisers. As an Economist at the Department of Commerce’s Office of the Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, she contributed economic analysis to the department’s regulatory work, assisted with implementation of place-based initiatives in the CHIPS and Science Act, and helped brief the Secretary on the state of the economy. Prior to that, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Council of Economic Advisers, where she covered a wide range of topics including labor, the social safety net, macroeconomics, health, and climate change. Sarah spent her 1L summer doing research on distributional cost-benefit analysis for Professor Ricky Revesz and on tax expenditures for Professor Lily Batchelder. At NYU, she is a staff editor on the Law Review, a board member of the Law and Government Society, and an extern for New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes. Sarah graduated from Swarthmore College in 2021 with High Honors in Economics and Political Science and grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

 

Mary Lewis ‘27 is interested in tax, clean energy, and climate policy. She is particularly passionate about tax credit design, energy regulation, electricity market design, and voter protection and election law. Prior to law school, she served as a Climate Policy Advisor at the Department of the Treasury where she worked to implement the Inflation Reduction Act clean energy tax credits. She also worked for nearly four years in the energy storage and clean energy industry where she led the Americas policy and market strategy for Fluence Energy, a leading U.S. energy storage company. She managed the state and federal policy outlook for the company, and developed the digital growth strategy as part of the company’s successful 2021 IPO. Additionally, she worked as a management consultant for two years in San Francisco. Mary has also worked as a Voter Protection Data Analyst on the Biden for President 2020 campaign and as an Analytics Lead at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee during the 2022 midterms. She was a Bay Area Fellow in 2022 for the Clean Energy Leadership Institute. At law school, in addition to being an FPP Scholar, she is an editor for the Tax Law Review and an extern with the State Legislative Externship. She worked as a Research Assistant for the Institute for Policy Integrity during her 1L summer. Mary graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with an Economics degree from Vanderbilt University and is from Charlotte, NC.

 

Tresa Joseph ’27 is interested in consumer protection and antitrust law, particularly as they relate to issues of economic mobility. Prior to law school, she worked at the White House National Economic Council as a Senior Policy Advisor, where she helped advance efforts to reduce hidden consumer fees, expand access to capital for underserved entrepreneurs, and launch the federal government’s first-ever free tax filing service. Before joining the NEC, she worked at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, focused on pre-trial case processing and pre-arraignment diversion programs. At NYU, Tresa is a staff editor for the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy and serves on the board of the Antitrust and Competition Law Society. She spent her 1L summer at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office where she worked on regulatory policy and consumer protection matters. Tresa graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science and was born and raised in New Jersey.

 

MaryAnn Placheril ’27 is interested in racial and economic justice, particularly in housing, tech, and consumer protection. Before NYU, she worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. At the CFPB MaryAnn primarily worked on data science and strategy for racial bias enforcement cases and supervision exams. She led the Bureau’s data analysis for novel appraisal bias cases and developed less discriminatory alternatives to credit models as a part of machine learning/AI exams. She also worked on various policy and regulatory efforts including the Overdraft Rule. She has worked previously at Brookings Metro, the Eviction Lab, at Senator Bill Nelson’s (D-FL) office. At NYU Law, MaryAnn is a staff editor for the Review of Law and Social Change, an advocate with Parole Advocates, and a Scholarship Co-chair of Law and Political Economy. She spent her 1L summer in her home state of Florida at the Broward County Public Defender’s Office and as a research assistant to Lily Batchelder and Noah Rosenblum. MaryAnn graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Public and International Affairs and minors in African American Studies and Statistics and Machine Learning.

Class of 2028

Quentin Dupouy '28 is committed to advancing economic justice and equitable social policy. Before law school, he worked for two progressive Members of Congress on issues including tax justice, social welfare, health care, and civil rights. Most recently, as Senior Policy Advisor to Rep. Jared Huffman, he advanced legislation to increase affordable housing, improve access to education, and enhance consumer protections. He also founded the Stop Project 2025 Task Force to coordinate a legal, legislative, and political strategy to counteract the conservative takeover. In his previous roles, he crafted legislation to advance President Biden’s Billionaire Minimum Income Tax, protect disability rights, and expand access to food and health care for low-income communities. Before working on Capitol Hill, he received a Fulbright Grant to live and work in Benin. At NYU Law, he is a Fellow for the Community Equity Initiative, a Staff Editor for the Review of Law and Social Change, and a Board Member for the Law and Political Economy Association. He spent his 1L Summer at Build Up Justice NYC, working to prevent foreclosures and represent low-income taxpayers in tax disputes. Quentin graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with honors from the University of Chicago. He is a lifelong New Yorker.

Kyra Whitelaw '28 is passionate about environmental and energy policy. She is also interested in regulatory policy and administrative law more broadly. Prior to law school, Kyra worked for three years as a legislative staffer in the House of Representatives for two Members of Congress. As a fellow in the office of Congresswoman Grace Meng, she focused on AANHPI issues and menstrual equity. Subsequently, as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Seth Magaziner, she covered a wide domestic policy portfolio including health, education, labor, energy, and the environment, as well as the Congressman's work as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee. Kyra advanced legislation on topics including paid time off for workers, wage theft, career and technical education, and offshore wind development. On the Hill, Kyra served as a fellow for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, and she continues to be involved with the organization as an alumni mentor. At NYU, Kyra is co-chair of the Environmental Law Society, a Staff Editor on the Moot Court Board, and involved with the Stanford Law Athletic Program and Stanford Run Club. Kyra graduated from Stanford University where she earned a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Communications. Her Master's thesis about climate journalism was titled: "Improving Reporting on Extreme Heat Events: Centering Risks and Climate Change". Kyra other previous work experience includes working as a ski instructor at Northstar California Resort in Lake Tahoe and being a ballgirl at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.

Maria Weston Kuhn ’28 is passionate about women’s rights and gender equality under the law. Prior to law school, she founded and served as President of Drive Action Fund, a national advocacy non-profit focused on requiring equal female crash test dummy use in federal car safety testing. A head-on crash survivor herself, Maria raised awareness via earned media and viral content, championed the introduction of the bipartisan She DRIVES Act in the U.S. Senate, and collaborated with the Trump Administration to promulgate effective regulations. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, ABC News, Good Morning America, and more. Maria also served as a Legislative Correspondent in the U.S. Senate, where she researched and advised Senator Angus King (I-ME) on issues before the Commerce, Judiciary, and Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committees. During her 1L summer, Maria was a Legal Intern at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs’ Institute of Global Politics, Women’s Division; NYU Law awarded her the Abby Lyn Gillette fellowship to support her work. Maria is currently a clinical extern at Appellate Advocates’ Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act Practice. At NYU Law, Maria is a Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center Fellow, Co-President of Law Women, a Staff Editor for the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, and Treasurer of NYU’s International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) chapter. Maria is also a Teaching Assistant for Professor Andrew Weissman, a Research Assistant for Professor Noah Rosenblum, and conducted research for the Center for Law and Public Trust. Maria is from Falmouth, Maine and graduated from Columbia University in February 2023 with a B.A. in Political Science and Psychology.

Class of 2029

Julia Eckelmann'29 is passionate about international law and security policy. Originally from Portland, Oregon, she graduated from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service in 2018. She explored careers in intelligence and at the UN, provided USAID mission support, published research on firearms trafficking in the European Union, and completed an International Parliamentary Scholarship at the German Bundestag. Prior to law school, she worked in humanitarian mine action for five years as country director for The HALO Trust, based in Libya, Iraq, Malawi and Mozambique. Recently, she coordinated the cleanup of unplanned explosion sites and delivered stockpile security training and capacity building to enhance the accountability and transparency of military and police forces. To build on her experience in security sector reform and countering weapons proliferation, she is pursuing joint JD/MPA degrees with NYU Law and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

 

Caleb Dunson '29 is passionate about economic justice, with a particular interest in tax, labor, and antitrust law. Prior to law school, he worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. At the Federal Reserve, he conducted financial stability research on derivatives, short-term debt markets, and digital assets, contributing analysis to FOMC policy briefings and quarterly system-wide financial stability reports. At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, he supported enforcement investigations into issues ranging from predatory student lending and deceptive advertising to fraudulent home loan programs and national redlining schemes. In college, he spent time working in finance and government, including at the Treasury Department, Goldman Sachs, and Congressman Danny K. Davis’ office. He has also published extensively in local and national news outlets as a freelance journalist, including a solo investigative article on the felony murder doctrine in Illinois. Caleb is a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar, and has studied abroad at the University of Oxford, where he won book prizes for his work in Labor Economics and Social Policy. Originally from the west side of Chicago, he graduated from Yale College in 2024, where he double majored in Economics and Political Science.