As we commemorate the past eight years of the GW Law in New York Program (GWNY), we hear from several alumni and students about their experiences.
Madison Soares, Class of 2024
Madison completed the GWNY program in 2023.
My participation in the GWNY program was pivotal to my development as both a student and a soon-to-be lawyer. Having the opportunity to be taught by professors who actively practice at many of the world's leading law firms offered a more real-world, practical approach to learning business law than what is typically offered in a standard law school course. Through their teachings, insights, and advice, I was able to develop a comprehensive understanding of various practices that comprise business law and learn how to practically apply my education to my future practice. Further, the GWNY Program's small class size facilitated a close-knit, supportive learning environment that helped me form life-long professional relationships and friendships with peers who intend to pursue similar career paths in NYC. Having attended law school in DC, the opportunity to begin making these connections in NYC while still in school has given me a head start on building my professional network.
Following the GWNY program, I completed a summer associate program at Ropes & Gray LLP in NYC, where I continued pursuing my interest in business law while working primarily within the firm's asset management practice area. Since then, I have graciously accepted an offer to rejoin Ropes following my graduation from law school this year. Once there, I plan to continue working within the firm's asset management practice and explore contingent practice areas, such as private equity and alternative assets. Having completed the GWNY program, I feel prepared to join my firm and navigate the complexities of various practice areas and professional settings. I highly encourage any student interested in business law to consider participating in the GWNY program—it was undoubtedly the best experience I have had throughout my law school career. Though challenging, the program provides a unique and unparalleled opportunity to learn about various facets of business law that cannot be replicated in a typical law school environment. Participating in the program will prepare you with the knowledge and confidence to pursue a high-level business law career in NYC.
Charlie La Vine, JD '23
Charlie completed the GWNY program in 2022.
I participated in GWNY in the Spring of 2022 as a 2L. I applied to the program with aspirations of one day landing a job and living in NYC. However, when I was selected, I couldn't have been further from achieving those goals. My grades were unspectacular, I had zero offers from firms at OCI, and I had not been a member of a journal, moot court, or mock trial. I was coasting through law school and doing little to separate myself from my motivated peers. GWNY changed all of that - it was my opportunity to do something truly unique and valuable.
Our GWNY class was special, as it was Professor Cunningham's last class before retiring from academia. His Business Lawyering class taught me how to be a better presenter, a better writer, and more of an all-around professional. The ancillary events we did taught me how to efficiently network and develop meaningful professional relationships. I learned every week from professors who were also wildly accomplished practitioners, like Jeff Kohn and Paul Basta, among others. I got connected with incredible mentors like Laurie Curnes, a successful attorney at ESPN. I met some of my best friends in law school as a result of this program.
The drilled practice we routinely did on resumes and interviews wasn't just fluff - it directly led to me landing great positions I otherwise would not have gotten. My co-requisite internship at the New Jersey Bureau of Securities gave me the experience I needed to land an externship at the SEC the following spring. I relied on my GWNY classes in interviews to get a summer associate offer at a top boutique litigation firm for my 2L summer. All of this experience and training helped me to be one of the rare 3L students to land a big law position at a firm without having been a summer associate. In these interviews, I was able to point to concrete things I did and learned as a member of GWNY.
I am now a first-year associate at Arnold & Porter in New York City, and could not be happier. GWNY was the best decision I made in law school, and anyone who gets accepted is lucky to have the opportunity for a similar experience.
Darra Frino (Loganzo), JD '21
Darra completed the GWNY program in 2020.
The GWNY program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience working and living as a lawyer in New York City before even graduating from law school. Taking business classes in conference rooms of top law firms with experienced lawyers as professors gave me the chance to learn and apply concepts to real-world scenarios outside the typical law school classroom. My internship at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts was also an incredible stepping stone into my current associate position because I gained experience working on many of the same types of substantive projects. I also continue to offer pro bono services to the organization through my firm. The contacts, skills-building training, and networking opportunities gave me the preparation and confidence to effectively communicate with clients at my firm every day.
GWNY's programming and courses are also applicable to every type of law student. While my career path and interest in intellectual property did not seem to fit into a conventional "finance/business" category, GWNY's lessons on legal drafting, client communication, and networking taught me that business law touches on every aspect of becoming a better lawyer. I believe that all law students would benefit from these lessons and experiences.
Jagriti Khurana, JD '23
Jagriti completed the GWNY program in 2022.
As a transfer student who chose GW Law for the opportunities it offers, GWNY stands out as the highlight of my law school journey. As a Native New Yorker with no prior legal connections in the city, this program not only allowed me to build a small local network of GW alums achieving tremendous success in New York but also exposed me to various aspects of transactional corporate law previously unfamiliar to me. From the exceptional professors to my passionate classmates, I gained invaluable knowledge that I carry with me daily as I embark on my career as a lawyer.
Andrew Nettels, Class of 2025
Andrew completed the GWNY program in 2023.
I jumped at the opportunity to study in New York City. It was my introduction to the New York legal profession - a community I will have the pleasure of joining immediately after graduation, thanks to the connections I cultivated through the GWNY program.
GWNY was my first taste of New York City. It was an invigorating semester. My newfound friendships spanned multiple industries. From days spent in Manhattan Federal court, to evenings partying in the West Village and beyond - there was never a dull moment. After only a week there, I was determined to return for the summer.
I had the pleasure of extending with Judge Woods at the Southern District of New York. It was the place to be. For instance, the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried provided a unique glimpse of white-collar practice while nicely complementing material that I had learned in GWNY's Securities and Banking Regulation courses. The same is true for the heavily publicized arraignment of Senator Menedez - whose indictment in the Southern District served as the topic for my term paper in GWNY's white-collar crime course.
These experiences inspired me to further pursue criminal law and federal litigation. I am happy to share that I will return to NYC this summer to join the New York City Law Department's Summer Honors Internship Program. I am interested in joining its Special Federal Litigation Division after I graduate from GW Law. This semester, I will be making the commute from DC to clerk at the US Attorney's Office in Greenbelt, MD. I have a team of mentors and friends from the GWNY program to thank for this!
James Ring, JD '23
James completed the GWNY program in 2022.
GWNY has provided value to me in two particular ways as a first-year corporate associate. First, the curriculum taught me how to draft and understand various agreements and their sub-parts. Second, the GWNY professors, along with the many friends to the program who served as mentors or guest speakers, provided valuable insight on how to work and act in a law firm setting. As a result, I felt better prepared to work at a BigLaw firm than I otherwise would have.
Sung Shin, JD '22
Sung completed the GWNY program in 2021.
I am an associate in the Antitrust practice group at Clifford Chance in Washington, DC. Antitrust is uniquely situated where there are both corporate/transaction and litigation aspects of the work. From advising clients on compliance with the US merger control laws to regulatory review of mergers and acquisitions, antitrust is embedded in every part of a corporate transaction. It's year two of my career and I am still happily working (and surviving). There have been countless hours of adjusting, learning, and working, but at the end of the day, I am glad to have mentors and friends I can talk to, including my GWNY classmates who are now my long-time friends.