
Law School Magazine 2021
Features in this issue

Changing the Debate
In areas as disparate as Wall Street, infrastructure, and the presidency, scholarship at NYU Law has real-world impact.

Tales of Resilience
In a time of uncertainty and social distancing, the people of NYU Law found innovative ways to stay connected.

Meeting the Moment
Past and present ACLU presidents—Susan Herman ’74 and Professor of Clinical Law Deborah Archer—discuss today's challenges and opportunities.

Q&A with Bob Bauer
Professor of Practice Bob Bauer talks about advising the Biden campaign, evaluating potential Supreme Court reforms, and teaching NYU Law students.
Also in this issue
People

From One Attorney General to Another
During his 15 years as New York’s attorney general, Robert Abrams ’63 transformed that office and the role of attorney general throughout the country.

Tapped for the Biden Administration
This spring President Joe Biden selected a broad range of NYU Law faculty, scholars, alumni, and other Law School affiliates to fill positions in his administration.

A New Model for Education
Founder and managing teacher of Ember Charter School in Brooklyn, Rafiq Kalam Id-Din II ’00 uses lessons from the law to build a new model for education.

John Creedon
Creedon ’55, LLM ’62, a longtime NYU Law Life Trustee and a former trustee of New York University, passed away on October 11, 2020.

The Clinical Experience
NYU Law students both learn and practice as they tackle an array of real-world legal issues.

Top-Notch Reporting
Members of the American Law Institute vote to approve drafts of long-gestating projects led by NYU Law faculty.

Leading through Collaboration
Valerie Radwaner ’87, deputy chair at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, has held numerous leadership positions and is committed to mentoring the next generation of lawyers.

Gustave Hauser
Hauser LLM ’57, co-founder of the Hauser Global Law School Program, passed away on February 14, 2021.

New Trustees
In October 2020, a group of outstanding leaders in the legal profession and beyond became new members of NYU Law’s Board of Trustees.

A Tax Education with Lasting Impact
In celebration of the Graduate Tax Program's 75th anniversary, four notable alumni explain how an NYU Law tax LLM provided the cornerstone for careers in a range of fields.

A Justice for the Cherokee Nation
Shawna Baker LLM ’15 is the newest justice on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court. Helping secure a bright future for future generations has been a guiding principle of her career.

Robert Katzmann
Judge Katzmann, professor of practice, passed away on June 9, 2021.

Sally Engel Merry
The Julius Silver Professor of Anthropology at NYU and an affiliated faculty member at NYU Law, Merry passed away on September 8, 2020.

The Tax Law Center at NYU Law Debuts
The newly formed Tax Law Center at NYU Law focuses on tax law issues that have profound implications for government, businesses, and individuals.

Service and Scholarship
Cedric Merlin Powell ’87 reflects on his nearly three decades as a law professor at the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law.

Healthcare Advocate
Robert Hayes ’77, president and CEO of Community Healthcare Network, has worked to ensure access to healthcare and other services for vulnerable populations.

Remembering Elizabeth Frankel
Family and friends of the late Elizabeth Frankel ’05 have established a summer fellowship at NYU Law in her memory, honoring Frankel’s dedication to immigrant rights.

Venture Fund Supports Student and Alumni Endeavors
The NYU Law Venture Fund expands its support of student and alumni entrepreneurship in the Law School community.

Climate Champion
After two decades as a civil rights litigator, Miranda Massie ’96 has founded the Climate Museum to inspire the public in the fight against climate change.

Security Expert
Tess Bridgeman ’10 brings her national security expertise back to NYU Law as co-editor in chief of Just Security.

Support for Reform
A new gift to what will be called the Peter L. Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law deepens Zimroth’s long association with NYU Law.

Empowering Communities
Sienna Fontaine ’07, legal director at Make the Road New York, discusses how to empower communities by creating hubs that bring together a range of resources.

In Memoriam
The Law School remembers NYU Law community members who have passed away during the last academic year.
Ideas

The WHO and COVID-19
José E. Alvarez looks at why the global health regime’s pandemic response has been an “abject failure.”

The Prisoner Trade
Emma Kaufman offers a comprehensive picture of an interstate system for trading and transferring prisoners.

Rethinking Paradigms
Maggie Blackhawk challenges common wisdom in her interdisciplinary scholarship.

Change Agent
Skilled litigator Vincent Southerland prepares clinic students to combat injustice.

Adaptive and Resilient Movements
In a new book, Gráinne de Búrca offers reasons to be optimistic about the future of human rights efforts.

A Tool Kit for Economic Justice
Helen Hershkoff focuses on the inequities experienced by those without means.

A Voice for Global Justice
César Rodríguez-Garavito addresses climate change as a human rights issue.

Digging into the Past
Noah Rosenblum brings his passion for history and law to questions of justice.

Trapped in the Machine
Alina Das ’05 explores how the criminal legal system has been used to target and deport immigrants.

Rationality, the Sequel
Richard Revesz takes a new look at cost-benefit analysis in federal agency regulation and decision-making.
Celebrations

Recognizing Diverse Leadership
OUTLaw, the NYU Law student group that brings together self-identifying LGBTQ students, alumni, faculty, staff, and their allies, presented their annual alumni award to two recipients: Lynn Nakamoto ’85 and Robert Raben ’88.

Honoring an Advocate
Chantá Parker ’06, managing director of the Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit, received the 2021 Woman of Distinction Award from Women of Color Collective.

Reunion Recognizes Alumni Achievement
A diverse range of virtual events was held over the reunion weekend, including a wine tasting, an NYU Law trivia game, and award ceremony recognizing six alumni for their professional achievements.

Celebrating the Class of 2021
On May 20, 2021 NYU Law gave the Class of 2021—more than 700 JD, LLM, MSL, and MS recipients—a celebratory send-off in a virtual Convocation ceremony that featured Michigan Chief Justice Bridget McCormack ’91 as keynote speaker.

A Three-Generation NYU Law Family Gives Back
Joel Steiger ’58 and his family have helped establish the Steiger Family Scholarship, supporting JD students interested in real estate or corporate law.

A Civil Liberties Leader
NYU Law’s Law Women honored Susan Herman ’74 with their Alumna of the Year Award. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, Herman served as president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from October 2008 until January 2021.

LACA Leaders
The Law Alumni of Color Association’s Spring Dinner emphasized the importance of community and honored those making an impact.

Family Traditions
Graduates from the Class of 2021 celebrated with family members who are also graduates of the Law School.