Student Spotlight: Maria Weston Kuhn ’28

Weinfeld Program Dean’s Scholar
Founder, Drive Action Fund
Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center Fellow

How did you decide to pursue law?

I decided to pursue law so I could become a better advocate. Serving as a legislative correspondent in the US Senate, then as president of an advocacy nonprofit, I’d been dealing with bill text and regulatory actions for years without understanding exactly how they operated. I chose NYU Law because I knew the classes, professors, and my wonderful classmates could teach me what I needed to know. Now that I'm here, I’m learning the nuts and bolts of how change is made—how justice is furthered and fortified. 

You're the founder of an organization called the Drive Action Fund, doing successful federal advocacy to introduce female crash-test dummies in vehicle safety testing. How has your experience in advocacy informed your legal education?

In December 2019, my family and I survived a head-on car crash. My mom and I suffered significant injuries, and mine required emergency surgery and a semester off from college to heal. After getting home from the hospital, I found a clipping from Consumer Reports my grandmother had sent me. As it explained, the Department of Transportation currently doesn’t test new vehicles with accurate female crash test dummies. Women’s bodies aren’t accounted for in car safety design, and the consequences are devastating—women are 17 percent more likely to be killed and 73 percent more likely to be severely injured than men in the same car crash. The injuries most common for women to suffer were exactly the ones my mom and I experienced. I decided in that moment to do everything I could to help.

I launched Drive US Forward, a 501(c)(3), in March 2023, then pivoted to Drive Action Fund, a 501(c)(4), in April 2025. We at Drive work together to end the fatal gender-based disparity in car safety testing through raising public awareness, leading legislative advocacy, and championing regulatory reform. We were proud to work with a bipartisan group of all-female senators to introduce the She DRIVES Act in the US Senate in January 2025, pass it unanimously through the Commerce Committee in February, and collaborate with the Trump Administration in November to officially approve the THOR 5 female crash test dummy design specifications. We are hopeful that the She DRIVES Act will pass both chambers in the upcoming transportation reauthorization package, and finally mandate that all American cars be tested with female dummies in the driver’s seat.

This work has given me a sense of perspective—an understanding of how the intangible theories can have real-life consequences. Advocacy also requires some creativity and thinking outside the box. Given the rules that exist, how can we find the best outcome using the framework to our advantage? It’s been interesting to learn how we can change the rules themselves, not just their application. 

Which Law School class or experience has had the biggest impact on you?

Civil Procedure has had the biggest impact on me so far. While the rules appear so clear-cut and established, it’s fascinating to learn how they’re being shaped and determined with every appellate case. [John S. R. Shad Professor of Law] Daniel Hemel’s class also traced the evolution of civil procedure practice along particular justices’ ideologies and the greater political pendulum swing. This historical perspective was enlightening for understanding both the past and the future. 

I also had the opportunity to attend [human rights lawyer and author] Phillipe Sands’ book launch at NYU Law in October. My uncle introduced me to his books in August and I've been obsessed with his work ever since. Hearing about Sands’ research and his experience as a global professor of law at NYU Law [from 1990 to 2003] reaffirmed my interest in global, legal, and historical work, and my gratitude to be here at NYU Law.

What do you most like to do outside of class? What’s your favorite way to spend a day in New York City?

Outside of class, I love to spend time with family and friends the most. I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon this fall, so I was on the West Side Highway a lot. My favorite day in New York City would include a workout class with friends—thank you, 404 Lafayette; finding an old murder mystery for a dollar at Mercer Street Books; reading in the sun; checking out one of the many free museums we have access to through NYU; thrifting at L Train or Rogue; and going to a live sports game or concert. We are privileged to have so many cultural resources and activities at our fingertips here in New York. While it can be hard to take time away from studying, I deeply believe that not only does leaving our bubble not hurt our academics, it makes us far better students, friends, and citizens of the world.

Have you read any books or heard any podcasts lately that you would recommend?

Yes, I just finished The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War by Stephen Kinzer. I love history and read a lot of great books this semester—East West Street and The Ratline by Philippe Sands, The Wager, and Destiny of the Republic were a few of my favorites. Abyss and All the President’s Men are up next!

This interview has been condensed and edited.