Graham Dean 3L won first place in the International Association of Defense Counsel Legal Writing Contest for his paper about regulating self-driving vehicles.
Dean credits Professor Judith Wegnerfor her guidance in drafting his paper, which was an assignment for the State and Local Government class she taught.
"I have always been intrigued by autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, and was particularl interested in learning more about how government is regulating this emerging industry,” says Dean. “I found that much of the current legislation balances attracting AV manufacturers with concerns of driver safety. After analyzing the current laws for AVs, my paper recommends model legislation/roles for all levels of government. The paper also focuses on how the current accident liability framework will be affected by AVs.”
This summer, Dean is working in the law department of SCOR Global Life Americas Reinsurance Company, a Charlotte-based reinsurance company. At Carolina Law, Dean is institute editor of the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal and serves as corporate/securities appellate advocacy team member in Holderness Moot Court. He wants to pursue a career in cybersecurity law.
“It’s a field that I have been working hard to specialize in,” says Dean. “Cybersecurity was also implicated in this paper, as AVs rely heavily upon data gathered from both the Internet and GPS.”
Dean receives a $2,000 cash prize and a plaque commemorating his achievement. His paper will also be considered for publication in the IADC’s quarterly academic publication, the Defense Counsel Journal. The IADC Legal Writing Contest recognizes students who submit original work of sole authorship that demonstrates a high caliber of writing quality and legal analysis on timely subjects of national or international significance.
-July 11, 2017