Student Leader, First Generation Pre-Orientation Program

Personal Editor, Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law

What led you to become a lawyer? If you could not be a lawyer, what would be your second choice profession?

As I’m sure is true for many law students, my parents always encouraged me to be a lawyer while growing up. Having no idea what a lawyer did for the longest time, I certainly didn’t think they would be right! It wasn’t until my first internship, the summer after my freshman year at Boston College, that I really knew I wanted to go to law school. That summer I interned with a trial judge and was completely enamored with everything I saw in the courtroom and chambers. Once the internship ended, I knew I wanted to practice law and I haven’t looked back since.

Originally, I wanted to be a fiction editor. I always enjoyed the detailed work of editing and writing in high school and saw this career as a way to combine my interest in the creative side of fiction with the technical work I enjoyed so much in school. Now, I am drawn to intellectual property for a similar reason of intersecting creative spheres, but instead with the law. If I hadn’t been able to be a lawyer, I’m sure I would have continued down the path to becoming an editor.

This summer, you worked closely with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion on the First Generation Pre-Orientation Program (FGPOP) organized for 1Ls at the beginning of this academic year. What did you take away from that experience and what led you to take an active role in this program?

As a first-generation college student, much of my academic journey—from applying to college and beginning law school—was discovered through trial and error. Although I had tremendous support from my family, there was always a lingering sense of uncertainty that I was the first of us to go through every experience after graduating high school. Prior to 1L Orientation, I participated in NYU Law’s First Generation Pre-Orientation Program (FGPOP) and as the year progressed, I could not have been more grateful for the experience. The program covered everything from time management in law school to simply explaining what an outline is, and it also answered several questions I didn’t know I had. It was also where I met some of my best friends from law school.

Entering my 2nd year, I was eager to give back to this community in a mentoring capacity. My experiences working closely with Ileana Casellas-Katz, NYU Law’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, over the past summer, as well as over the two days of FGPOP, have been the most meaningful of my time in law school. right up until now. I hope that sharing the lessons I have learned and making the transition easier for other first-generation students starting at NYU Law has helped foster a welcoming environment for this student community. And of course, being able to form such great relationships with an amazing and kind group of 1Ls made this experience even more rewarding!

What courses and professors have had the most profound effect on you at NYU Law so far?

The class that surprised me the most was definitely Contracts with (Max E. Greenberg Professor of Contract Law) Clayton Gillette. Contracts was the class I dreaded the most at the beginning of law school, but it quickly became the class I looked forward to the most each week. More than any other doctrine class in my 1L time, Contracts forced me to really think about every word I read in the assigned cases and what it means to choose those words when drafting a contract. I can’t say I expected to hear so many responses to what the definition of “chicken” might be!

The skills I learned in Contracts were invaluable to my summer internship experience working at a commercial litigation firm and created a solid foundation for learning even more about this area of ​​law with each new case at which I was assigned.

What do you like to do most outside of class? What’s your favorite way to spend a day in New York?

Being from Long Island, I grew up visiting the city frequently and it was always my goal to live here. New York has a reputation for being fast-paced, but I love it most when I find the spaces where it slows down. More than anything, I love walking and exploring, browsing bookstores and grabbing an iced Americano from a new coffee shop. With the leaves changing for autumn, this is the best time of year to enjoy the city. Just this past weekend I spent an afternoon walking around the West Village to see all the different Halloween decorations and it never gets old to see Central Park this time of year.

On Saturdays, I like to go to an early morning yoga class to wrap up my week. Leaving the studio and walking home on the calm and quiet streets before the rest of the city wakes up always leaves me refreshed and ready for the new week.

Have you read any books or listened to podcasts lately that you would recommend?

During the semester, I take every opportunity to incorporate some light reading into my schedule – so anything fiction! I always recommend picking up one of Emily Henry’s books for a fun read. Her new releases come right after spring finals, and reading her latest novel has been a fun tradition of mine for the past few years to kick off summer!

Posted on November 1, 2024