GW Law in New York (GWNY) celebrated its first reunion on June 12, bringing together more than 50 GWNY alumni who participated in the program since its inception in 2017.
GWNY begins its tenth academic year this Fall, and has welcomed 194 GW Law students to New York City since its inaugural semester in 2017, with another 20 law students enrolled in the program this Fall. GWNY is not only a once-in-a-career experience for students, but also a key part of the GW Law commitment to establish an exciting reputation for training exceptional business lawyers who excel in the New York business law market.
“The Reunion celebrated GWNY’s continued growth and reinforced the deep connections students make during their semester in New York City,” said Jeffrey Kohn, GWNY professor of practice of business and finance law and coordinator of the GWNY program. “GWNY alumni will often share how rewarding the New York semester has been for them. Students in GWNY enjoy the many opportunities to network with the New York legal community, develop a close bond with their classmates during the semester, and stay connected with each other and with the New York legal community after completing the program. Some will say that GWNY has launched or shaped their careers.”
Joining the celebration were several other GWNY faculty, including Professor Dalia Tsuk Mitchell, Faculty Director for Business and Finance Law, Jeffrey Manns, Faculty Director for GWNY, Michael Rand, Assistant Dean of the Business and Finance Law Program, and leading New York business lawyers who generously give their time as members of the GWNY faculty, including Professors Wendy Goldberg (Banking Law), Joseph Chan (Mergers & Acquisitions), and Istvan Hajdu (Securities).
GWNY students spend the semester in New York City learning through practitioner-taught classes and experiential field placements. Each semester, six to seven top New York City law firms, such as Paul Weiss, Sullivan & Cromwell, Paul Hastings, Sidley, Mayer Brown, Mintz & Gold, Goodwin Proctor, Simpson Thatcher, and O’Melveny, host GWNY classes. Esteemed GW Law alumni and other law firm partners serve as GWNY professors. Experts like Professors Paul Basta, JD ‘92, Chan, JD ‘94, Jonathan Green, JD, ‘84, Goldberg, JD ‘00, Hajdu, LLM ‘03, Kohn, JD ‘84 , and Ike Sorkin, JD ‘68, teach classes like Restructuring, Mergers and Acquisitions, International Project Finance, Securities, White Collar, and Business Lawyering.
Students are also paired with GWNY Mentors, who volunteer their time each semester for professional mentorship and networking. Other New York City law firms, such as Kobre & Kim, Jackson Lewis, Baker Botts, Axinn, Simpson Thatcher, Reed Smith, Goetz Platzer, Gibson Dunn, Jones Day, and others, have hosted workshops for students in the program.
"GW is the only non-New York law school that offers students the chance to spend a semester studying and interning in New York City,” said Professor Manns. “This experience offers prospective students deciding between NY and DC schools a chance to have their cake and eat it too by getting exposure to both the DC and NY legal markets."
The June 12 reunion, hosted at the Cornell Club in New York, provided an opportunity for GWNY alumni to reconnect with their peers and celebrate their achievements and the growing success of the program. GW Law Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew spoke about the value the GWNY program provides to GW Law.
“Our GWNY alumni have told us how rewarding their semester in New York City has been for them and what a significant difference the program has made in their early careers—increasing employment and clerkship opportunities and building their network in the New York business and finance law community,” Dean Matthew said.
Professor Kohn, who is also a GW Law alumnus, JD ‘84, spoke about how GWNY has shaped the lives and careers of many GW Law alumni. Professor Kohn also thanked the GWNY alumni who helped organize the program, including Zoie Petrakis, Shelsea Voigt, Leah Berman-Gestring, Michael Mackanic, Izzy Schwarze, Carolina Rodriguez Garcia, Tayler Sheehan, Gabriella Joseph, Eashaa Parekh, Nicolas Sabet, and Omid Rahnama.
The reunion provided an opportunity to reflect on the growth of the program over the past nine years. What started with 12 students in the spring 2017 semester has grown into a year-round program, with 15 to 20 students participating each semester. The program has brought on more faculty and expanded class offerings to include Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Funds, International Project Finance, and Intellectual Property in Business Transactions. As more GWNY alumni and New York law firms get involved, students have only seen their career opportunities grow and networks expand. GWNY is truly a jewel in the GW Law program offerings.
