First-Year Law Student Niki Saenz Awarded Janet D. Steiger Fellowship

First-year University of Arizona Law student Niki Saenz has been awarded the Janet D. Steiger Fellowship, offering her the opportunity to work in the Competition, Innovation and Privacy Unit of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix this summer.  

The Fellowship provides law students with the opportunity to work in consumer protection departments of state and territorial Offices of Attorneys General and other consumer protection agencies. It honors the late Janet Steiger, a notable public servant who served as FTC Chairman and focused on building cooperative relationships between consumer protection and antitrust enforcement agencies. 

Saenz’s work in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office will center around consumer protection, data privacy and antitrust issues, an area she is passionate about.   

“I love the idea of working with governments or tech companies to advocate for ethical technology and to align government and business interests with that of consumers,” explains Saenz. “Being able to provide tangible, meaningful assistance to the state of Arizona in fulfilling their consumer protection mission is so exciting and feels like a huge step in the direction of my career goals.” 

Saenz first gained interest in the law after taking a class on the intersection of law and technology during undergrad. After graduating with a degree in Computer Science, she worked as a software developer for an early-stage startup where she learned to see all sides of a technological issue: the business motivations, the technological challenges, and the ethical concerns for consumers. She joined University of Arizona Law’s TechLaw Fellowship program where she has continued to find herself at the intersection of law, technology and business with the Steiger Fellowship representing the perfect way to combine her experiences, perspectives and passions to use them for the public good. 

“The field of technology law is growing every single day, and although I don’t know exactly where I fit within it yet, I hope to use my technical background and legal education in a public service role to continue making a difference for individual consumers.”

Saenz is the 2022-23 Wedel Scholar, funded by the Eric and Kristen Wedel Endowed Fellowship.