Two NYU Law alumni among Time’s 2017 list of the world’s 100 most influential people

Two NYU Law alumni—Jared Kushner ’07, senior White House adviser to the president, and Bob Ferguson ’95, Washington state attorney general—were included on Time’s 2017 list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

Kushner has been a notable political figure since playing a key role in the 2016 US presidential campaign. President Trump has described Kushner as “a tremendous asset and trusted adviser throughout the campaign and transition.” Following the election, Kushner became senior White House adviser to the president and leading adviser on Middle Eastern affairs.

“As part of the Trump family, Jared is familiar with the intangibles of the president,” writes former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, for Time. “As a graduate of Harvard and NYU, he has a broad education; as a businessman, a knowledge of administration.”

Ferguson made headlines earlier this year when he filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the state of Washington, challenging President Trump’s first executive order on immigration and refugees. US District Judge James Robart for the Western District of Washington ruled in favor of Ferguson and granted his request for a temporary restraining order on a nationwide basis, which prohibited federal employees from enforcing the executive order.

“Bob Ferguson clearly believes everyone deserves those guarantees [of liberty and justice], no matter their background,” writes actor and activist George Takei, for Time. “That is, after all, what makes us Americans. We are a country of immigrants. And it was thrilling to watch him speak out in the court of law in order to ensure a better and truer democracy.”

Other Law School alumni who have been recognized by Time in previous lists include Vrinda Grover LLM ’06 in 2013, for her work as a human rights lawyer and advocate for women’s rights in India; David Boies LLM ’67 in 2010, for teaming up with Theodore Olsen to challenge California’s then-prohibition of same-sex marriage; and Ma Ying-jeou LLM ’76 in 2008, for winning the 2008 Taiwan presidential election.

Posted April 25, 2017