Amanda Beck

Assistant Director, Academic Services

Tell us the story of how you came to work at NYU Law. Were you always in your current position?

I came to NYU Law and the world of higher education administration six years ago after multiple experiences working in education, policy, and research.

I got my start in this type of work as a student attending the University of Delaware. I worked in New Castle, Delaware at their public utility, where I conducted interviews and researched best practices for business and customer relations.  From there I made the move to the Superior Court of Delaware, applying similar skills in researching and interviewing staff on best practices in order to apply to a new case management software system that was being implemented.

After moving back to New York—I’m a Long Island native—I worked at Rutgers teaching English and as a documentarian on a CUNY project working with a focus group on curriculum revisions.

A chance meeting at a career meetup pointed me a to a job as a paralegal at a New York City law firm, where I ended up working at for two and a half years. As I was looking for a change from there, a friend working at NYU suggested I apply for jobs at the university.

I applied, and after a—successful!—interview in Academic Services for an administrative aide position, I was invited back to interview for my current position as assistant director in the office. I’ve been here since.

What’s a typical day for you like?

A typical day for me involves juggling daily tasks with long-term assignments. I check email when I get in to take care of anything urgent that has come in after hours. Depending on the day, you can find me speaking to students, faculty, and colleagues, answering questions on graduation requirements, course registration, exam rules, class schedules, and graduating students. I also work on two American Bar Association accreditation reports, so you’ll find me diving into the nitty-gritty of our curriculum or reaching out to states—think Florida, Texas, Washington State—to find out bar results.

If I can, I’ll squeeze in a podcast, a walk around Washington Square Park, or a visit to Sasaki Garden during the day.

What’s the most challenging thing about what you do? And what’s the most rewarding?

The most challenging thing I do is make sure I am on top of all rules and regulations for the school and the ABA as they can change. The most rewarding is graduating a student who you know you’ve helped along the way.

What do you wish you’d known about the Law School on your first day of working here?

I wish I had known how much the skills I had honed over my varied professional experiences would be used here.

What is your favorite spot on campus, and why?

A visit to Joe’s Coffee on LaGuardia Place and Sasaki Garden, often with a co-worker to enjoy the weather, landscaping, and discussion.

Posted November 1, 2024