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 moved to Paris for their jobs when I was just under two years old. We later moved to Seoul, South Korea for a three-year stint, and finally to Massachusetts when I was 12. As a German-American dual citizen whose best languages growing up were French and Russian, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around my own identity. But this curiosity about who I was imbued me with an early enthusiasm for understanding others’ sometimes complex identities—and eventually blossomed into an interest in global affairs.
NYU Law has been the perfect place to explore international law while immersed in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan and culturally diverse cities. I’ll also be going to Paris as part of the NYU Law Abroad program next semester, giving me an opportunity to reconnect with another city that has always been an important part of my life.
What are you hoping to learn as a research assistant for Professor Linda Silberman this academic year?
With Professor Silberman, I’ve had the opportunity to research questions at the intersection of international law and civil procedure, including the evolving role that doctrines like forum non conveniens and international comity play in US courts’ decision-making. As someone deeply interested in both international and domestic law, I hope to gain a better sense of how international considerations affect outcomes in the American legal system. Professor Silberman has already been uniquely rewarding in that regard, and I can’t wait to see where my research takes me.
Favorite way to spend a day in New York City?
I’ve had some of the best food of my life in Astoria, and am always amazed by how diverse this part of town is. Since I am half Russian, it’s also an incredibly special feeling to spend a day in Brighton Beach, speaking my mother tongue and going to restaurants that serve up the dishes my mom used to make for us growing up—something about having a beer and pelmeni right by the beach this summer felt quite surreal. New York has a way of surprising you everywhere you go.
Posted on November 20, 2023