Administrator Spotlight: Krista Minteer-Baysal
Senior Associate Director, Lawyering Program
Tell us the story of how you came to work at NYU Law. Were you always in your current position?
I first joined the Law School as a student worker and then as an administrative assistant in the Lawyering Program. After a few years, I moved to the faculty support side as the assistant to [John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law] Philip Alston, while I studied for a master’s degree in international relations and human rights. I then joined the nongovernmental organization (NGO) world for a bit, but returned to NYU Law after the 2007–2008 financial crisis triggered a round of layoffs in that sector. After a short stint as an administrative assistant in the Office of Student Affairs, I joined the Lawyering Program again, this time in my current role. It seems I can’t actually leave Lawyering!
What’s a typical day for you like?
This varies greatly depending on the time of year. During the semester, most of my focus is on scheduling hundreds of simulation exercises for our 1Ls: client interviewing, counseling and mediation in the fall; negotiation and oral argument in the spring. During the summer, I’m helping to onboard our incoming acting assistant professors of Lawyering, drafting the program calendar for the upcoming academic year, and administering the selection of 60 or so TAs for the new academic year. Throughout the entire year, I’m managing our budget to make sure that our professors have access to the research and conference funding they need to help them prepare to enter the teaching market, as well as handling all the other daily tasks that come with overseeing a department and program.
What’s the most challenging thing about what you do? And what’s the most rewarding?
Scheduling and coordinating the simulations is both the most challenging and the most rewarding part of my job. For example, trying to coordinate a hundred and fifty client interviews in eight business days with only five recording rooms while having to work around student and TA schedules is a tough—and often frustrating—puzzle to solve. Once it all comes together, though, it’s extremely satisfying. Luckily, I have lots of help from Lawyering’s six administrative assistants who support the Lawyering faculty and me.
What do you wish you’d known about the Law School on your first day of working here?
It took working elsewhere for a bit to really appreciate just how special working at NYU Law is. There are frustrations and challenging days, of course, but we also have a strong, supportive community of people who truly want to do a great job in preparing our students for their next steps. It’s a wonderful, collegial atmosphere that can be hard to find elsewhere.
On a more practical note, the special offers and discounts through NYU Ticket Central and Live Smart are great ways to experience more of what New York City has to offer!
What is your favorite spot on campus, and why?
The Sasaki Garden is my favorite place to go and recharge even if I only have 15 or 20 minutes. It’s such a great, tucked-away spot to soak up some quiet and nature in the middle of the bustle of the Village. The Jefferson Market Library, though not technically a campus spot, is another. It’s a great place to browse some books and decompress for a bit.