Stephen Messer joined the Institute in 1996. He received a B.A. in Government and Law with a minor in history from Lafayette College graduating a Phi Alpha Theta Scholar. He received a Juris doctorate from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Prior to coming to the Institute he served for the United States Mission to the United Nations on the sixth committee and closed sessions of the Security Council during the Forty-Ninth General Assembly. His studies and work dealt with the growth of the Internet for three years prior to joining the Institute. He directed the Virtual Institute of Information until April 1997. His current project is Link Share.