Diane C. Bernabei is an associate in the Litigation Department. Ms. Bernabei assisted in developing Debevoise’s Suite of Tools for Assessing AI Risk (“STAAR”), a groundbreaking client AI platform. STAAR brings together a comprehensive collection of practical tools—including a vetted use-case library, policy templates, and regulatory trackers—and has been profiled by Law.com (“Debevoise & Plimpton Is Building a New Model for Delivering AI Adoption Advice”) and Law360 (“Debevoise Builds Tool to Help In-House Attys Assess AI Risk”). In December 2025, STAAR won the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers North America Awards in the “Innovation in New Legal Products” category.

Ms. Bernabei joined Debevoise in 2024. Ms. Bernabei received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2024 where she served as the executive submissions editor of the National Security Journal and as a teaching fellow for the Technology and the Public Interest course and the Negotiation Workshop. Ms. Bernabei holds an M.A. in International Relations with a concentration in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies where she was a James Lipscomb and W.W. Norton Fellow. She received her B.A. cum laude from Boston College.  

Ms. Bernabei has authored or co-authored several articles. Her recent publications include “Legal Challenges to Compute Governance,” Lawfare (May, 2024); “State Dept. Inspector General Report: A Troubling Message on Arms Sales,” Just Security (August, 2020); and “It’s Time to Stop the Use of Tear Gas Against Civilians,” Just Security (July, 2020).