Shari Steele
Director of Legal Services
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Fields: Civil liberties in cyberspace
Specialty: Freedom of speech, privacy
Nominated by: Shari Steele
Excerpt from nomination: "I have been an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation for almost nine years. As part of my work with EFF, I help to ensure that the free speech and privacy rights we enjoy in the "real world" translate into cyberspace. I have helped individuals who have been wrongly treated, have written amicus briefs in support of protecting constitutional liberties, have been on legal teams challenging threatening laws, have testified before various federal agencies on issues related to cyberspace, have written numerous articles on these topics, and have spoken at universities and on various broadcast media on these issues. But most important, I work every day in trying to ensure that the Internet and other high technology applications are used to help, not hurt, people."
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
The very first thing I was paid for was writing articles for the local
paper. I learned then that I can make money doing things that I love.
Who is your hero, mentor or person you most admire? Why?
My hero is Justice William Brennan. He stood up for protecting the rights
of those members of society who were least able to stand up for themselves.
He understood the fundamental need for protecting civil liberties above
all else. He was able to be compassionate yet extremely effective.
What is your favorite book?
"The Bridge Across Forever" by Richard Bach.
What advances in your field do you envision over the next 10 years?
I see continued convergence between all multimedia into a single platform.
I hope that technology will be used to enrich everyone's lives. I see
expanded use of technology for delivering medical information, education,
personal sharing, and selected entertainment. I hope that people will be
working to win back the privacy protections that have started eroding away
while technology was in its infancy (i.e., now).
What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?
The people. When you work protecting civil liberties, everything is about
helping people protect their basic rights. The stories of people's lives
are so fascinating and important to me.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
Raising my two wonderful daughters (by the way, I'm not done yet).
What was your greatest challenge and what did you learn from it?
My greatest challenge has been working with others who share my commitment
but don't necessarily share my ideas of how to best accomplish the goals.
It's much harder, I think, to work with people who want the same things you
want but don't agree with you. I've learned that keeping an open mind
about how to accomplish tasks and working together can go a very long way.
What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life?
Balance in life? What's that? I sure could use some strategies for this!
What advice would you give to young women who want to enter your field?
Don't take no for an answer. Just start doing the work. It's an extremely
competitive field, but there is much more work than those currently engaged
can handle. Find something that you feel passionate about, and stick with
it until you accomplish your goals.
