Tax Policy Fellow
You earned a JD at NYU Law just last spring, and now you’re in the prestigious Tax LLM program. What made you choose to study at NYU Law not once but twice?
The people. During my JD program, I was constantly challenged, awed, and comforted by my classmates and professors. People at NYU Law think critically about how their interests and their passions meet a societal need.
I found tax late in my law school experience—fall of my 3L year—and was instantly captivated by the questions asked. I decided to pursue the LLM because I know how extraordinary our tax faculty is—as academics, researchers, practitioners, and (maybe most importantly) people— and my interest is to work in policy. Everything is tax!
How is the experience as an LLM different than when you were pursuing your JD?
I’ve really enjoyed getting to interact more closely with international LLMs and LLMs who have already practiced law. Plus, it’s fun to have already passed the bar—and to see that studying prepared me to understand the law better. David Kamin [Charles L. Denison Professor of Law], Brant Hellwig, and Jill Manny inspired me to pursue tax. Now, I’ve taken another class with each of them and have loved taking classes with Mitchell Kane [Gerald L. Wallace Professor of Taxation] and Daniel Shaviro [Wayne Perry Professor of Taxation] as an LLM. The experience from adjunct professors helps round out my learning, too.
Yes, I did just essentially list every tax professor I've had at NYU Law, but they are that good.
What was the most interesting class you’ve ever taken at NYU Law that was not tax related?
I enjoyed every class I took at NYU Law, and as someone who is interested in tort law, risk, and insurance, I thought [Segal Family Professor of Regulatory Law and Policy] Catherine Sharkey’s class on business torts challenged me to address questions of how we conceptualize—or fail to conceptualize—harm. Once again, the class was made all the more enjoyable by having a caring, quick-witted, and frighteningly bright professor. NYU Law faculty seems to be playing five-dimensional chess while I’m playing checkers.
What advice would you give current JDs?
Get involved and discover something new about yourself each year. I joined Law Revue, the play, and acted so I learned something new about myself. Disagree with your classmates civilly and humbly. Leave Manhattan—and Brooklyn. The entire city is a beautiful place to explore, and I promise it will help you think about what you’re studying in school in a different way. Check out Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, New Asha Sri Lanka Restaurant in Staten Island, and Flushing in Queens. You’ll be delighted by how diverse this city is.
What do you most like to do outside of class? What’s your favorite way to spend a day in New York City?
Outside of class, I love baking, cooking, and running. The best event of the year is the NYC Marathon. The excitement of the city, the roar of the crowds, and the grit of the runners can't be matched.
Posted November 27, 2024. This interview has been condensed and edited.