Robert McKay Scholar
New York University Law Review, Online Editor
How did you decide to pursue law?
I have always been interested in how words and language affect the world around us, and also in debating policy solutions. I think law often sits at the intersection of those two concerns. In school, I was involved in debate and Model UN, which I learned were considered pre-law activities. In college, a friend and I took all the courses with “law” in the title and joked that we were the unofficial pre-law track. After college, I worked as a paralegal for two years to decide if I really wanted to go to law school. I think you can guess the answer.
You’re very involved in labor and employment law activities both at the Law School and externally. Why does that field interest you?
At a broad level, people spend a significant portion of their adult lives working, so the law that governs that aspect of life seems especially important. Growing up in Kansas, I saw the effects of limited labor protections and low union density and realized the importance of workers’ rights. When I moved to New York after college, I was inspired by the wave of union organizing and decided to get involved. I helped promote community support for unions on strike and pro-worker legislation. During this time, I met a lot of workers on picket lines, which helped convince me that pursuing labor law was the best way for me to help the labor movement.
Which Law School class or experience has had the biggest...
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