Student Spotlights
![Austin Upshaw](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Upshaw_John_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=4tcgs2Y2)
You won best oralist, best respondent's brief, and first place overall at the 2024 William B. Spong, Jr. Moot Court Tournament. Tell us about your preparation for the moot court tournament.
Austin Upshaw ’25
Preparing for a moot court…
![Michelle Dahl](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Dahl_Melissa_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=rbDymyT7)
Tell us about your educational background. What brought you to NYU Law?
Michelle Dahl ’24
I majored in government and minored in religion at Smith College, and always had an interest in law and social change. I ended up attending the…
![Joaquin Jacome Barsallo](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Barsallo_Joaquin_Portrait_001.png?itok=xcuXqoSz)
Tell us about your volunteer work helping migrants with asylum applications.
I volunteered at the New York Legal Assistance Group and New York City’s Asylum Application Center. As a law student volunteer, I helped applicants express their narratives…
![Sofia Cianfrani](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Cianfrani_Sofia_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=4zP4NVuu)
Tell us about your experience serving as editor-in-chief of the Moot Court Board.
It has been the highlight of my time in law school. At NYU Law, Moot Court Board (MCB) is not only a moot court competition team, but also a journal. Each year MCB…
![Kiley Burns](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Burns_Kiley_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=znNH4AkZ)
Tell us about your experience as professional development co-chair of NYU Law Women.
Serving as professional development co-chair of Law Women has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The Law Women Board is a supportive, fun group of women and…
![Aidan McGirr](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/McGirr_Aidan_portrait_001.jpg?itok=AtnYUNhW)
IILJ Joyce Lowinson Scholar
Tell us about your educational background. What brought you to studying law at NYU?
When doing one of those connect-the-dots paintings, the image never really makes sense until you have all of the dots together. That is…
![Ian Leach](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Leach_Ian_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=QHVqZR13)
Tell us what it's been like taking on a new role as editor-in chief of NYU Law Review.
It's been a very exciting whirlwind since I was elected last month. We've already kicked off our articles and online selection process, we're working directly…
![Alexande Nehrbass](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Nehrbass_Alexander_portrait_001.jpg?itok=Cpj_XGuF)
What is your favorite part about being an NYU Law student?
In a lot of ways, coming to NYU has felt like finding my way home. I was born in New York City to a Russian mother and German father who’d only recently immigrated to the US, and we…
![Lily Liu](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Liu_Lily_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=xOSaORMi)
You graduated from NYU Gallatin with a BA in Politics through Art History, and serve as publicity chair of the Art Law Society. Tell us about your interest in the connection between art and law.
Growing up in an artistic family, I have always been…
![Amon Jones](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Jones_Amon_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=zLYFwEln)
Tell us about your experience serving as president of NYU Law’s West Coast Connection program.
Amon Jones ’24
It was an incredibly rewarding experience. I enjoyed connecting people from around the Law School who had a variety of…
![Cooper Aspegren](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Aspegren_Cooper_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=abhjAaOV)
You took part in the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Program (EVC), which offers rising 2Ls funding for summer internships at startups led by NYU Law alumni. Tell us about your experience participating in the program this past summer. …
![Cara Day](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Day_Cara_Portrait_001_1.jpg?itok=88fx96z7)
What are you hoping to learn as a teaching assistant for Professor of Practice Andrew Weissmann and Ryan Goodman, Anne and Joel Ehenkranz Professor of Law, this academic year?
Cara Day ’24
I took National Security Law with…
![Elise van den Hoek](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Van-den-Hoek_Elise_portrait_001.jpg?itok=MalWaRV4)
The Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Program (EVC) offers rising 2Ls funding for summer internships at startups led by NYU Law alumni. Tell us about your experience working at TechGC this past summer.
Elise van den Hoek ’25
I had…
![Thao Ho](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Untitled%20design%20%286%29_3.png?itok=xGxnlg-v)
Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar
Tell us about your experience in the Immigrant Rights Clinic.
My time as a student advocate in the Immigrant Rights Clinic (IRC) this past year was so rewarding and transformative. IRC uses a…
![Kaya Lawrence](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Kaya_Lawrence_Portrait_001.jpg?itok=xSQ9lM-q)
Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar
Kaya Lawrence ’24
Tell us about your experience in the Criminal Defense and Reentry Clinic. (CDRC)
CDRC has been one of the most valuable experiences of my time at NYU Law. While working under the…
![Sophie Pu](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Sophie_Pu_PORTRAIT_001.jpg?itok=VkcHgdHZ)
Tell us about your experience in the Global Justice Clinic.
Sophie Pu ’24
I am from Hong Kong, and having not grown up around lawyers, and certainly not lawyers from the US, I didn’t realize that so much of the first years of law school…
![Jonathan Arone](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Jonathan_Arone_%E2%80%9924_Portrait_o01.png?itok=oLyz-cSb)
George T. Lowy Scholar
Tell us about your experience in the Civil Rights in the Criminal Legal System Clinic.
Jonathan Arone ’24
This clinic with Professor Alexis Karteron was an immensely rewarding experience. A fellow 2L and I worked…
![Vanessa Holman](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Portrait_Vanessa_Holman_001.png?itok=lLmPdMz_)
Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar
Vanessa Holman ’24
Tell us about your experience in the Racial Justice Clinic.
We studied the complexities of racial dynamics as they relate to criminalization, punishment, and different modes of…
![Matt Escalante](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Escalante_Matthew_portrait_001.jpg?itok=oC1iJ28a)
Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar
Tell us about your experience in the Immigrant Rights Clinic.
Matthew Escalante ’23
While in law school, I've sought to develop practical lawyering skills and learn about immigrant defense from…
![Helina Meressa ’24](/sites/default/files/styles/inside_small/public/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-04-24T145411.920.png?itok=ZjiVj96G)
Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar
Helina Meressa ’24
Tell us about your experience in the Immigrant Rights Clinic.
The Immigrant Rights Clinic (IRC) has been the most formative part of my law school experience thus far. As student…