Noor Sandhu, a third-year student at the University of North Carolina School of Law, has become the first Carolina Law student to receive the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Westin Fellowship, one of the most competitive honors in the emerging field of privacy and data protection law.

The fellowship selects only two fellows annually from a national pool that includes law students and practicing attorneys. Sandhu will spend a year at IAPP’s Washington, D.C. office tracking state privacy legislation, analyzing AI governance developments, and contributing to thought leadership in this rapidly evolving field.

 “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent Carolina Law through this fellowship and to continue building my work in privacy law and AI governance,” said Sandhu.

Unlike many law students who discover their specialty during their studies, Sandhu’s interest in privacy law took root in high school, specifically around children’s online protection. That early passion ultimately led her to law school and has shaped her entire legal education.

“I became interested in privacy law through concerns about protecting children online, particularly how their data is collected and used,” said Sandhu.

Throughout law school, Sandhu actively pursued her interests, working in-house for major companies including State Employees’ Credit Union in Raleigh and Fortune 500 company Fortinet in Silicon Valley. She also served as an extern for the Network Advertising Initiative, worked as a research assistant for a partner at Baker McKenzie, and founded a Privacy Law Organization at Carolina Law.

Her efforts earned her recognition beyond the fellowship. Sandhu was awarded the 2024–2025 Westin Scholar Award by IAPP, which recognizes students with exceptional academic achievement in privacy law and the potential to become leaders in the field. The award was particularly meaningful as she was nominated by Carolina Law faculty member David Ardia.

Sandhu’s fellowship will focus on making complex privacy developments accessible to a broader audience. With no federal privacy law in the United States, she’ll be analyzing the patchwork of state-level privacy regulations and emerging AI legislation.

Sandhu is particularly concerned about AI bias and discrimination. She has written about automated hiring systems that reject job applicants based on keywords or names, and she also raises concerns about individuals unknowingly sharing sensitive or confidential information through AI-powered chatbots.

Despite these challenges, Sandhu sees tremendous potential in strong privacy protections. She points to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation as a model for giving individuals greater autonomy over their data.

Following the fellowship, Sandhu plans to join a law firm or a private company focused on privacy law and cybersecurity, the traditional path for IAPP fellows.

But beyond her immediate career goals, Sandhu is excited to contribute to this growing field.

“Privacy law is changing every day, which makes it both exciting and challenging,” she said. “It’s rewarding to be part of a field where I can help shape its development in ways that support innovation while also protecting people’s data and online safety.”

As privacy concerns continue to mount and AI technology advances at breakneck speed, Sandhu’s work will help shape how we navigate these uncharted waters, ensuring that innovation doesn’t come at the cost of our fundamental rights to privacy and data protection.