On June 29 the Public Interest Law Center's Guarini Government Summer Series hosted a breakfast with Natalia Sorgente ’96, chief of staff and counsel in the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. The series, inaugurated last year, gives NYU School of Law students with summer internships and firm jobs in Washington, D.C., opportunities to meet and network with prominent government officials and policymakers.
This year's series began with a lunchtime talk on June 8 by Emily Loeb ’09, White House legislative counsel and policy advisor. Loeb described for the students her career path in politics, beginning with her work on John Edwards’s 2004 presidential campaign and continuing with Tom Daschle’s Senate reelection bid and a position with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In her current position, Loeb works to guide legislation through the law-making process, with her office acting as a liaison between the executive and legislative branches. She has worked on issues including educational reform and the prevention of childhood obesity.
Roopal Patel ’11 found Loeb’s talk particularly informative: “She clearly had a lot of in-depth political experiences and was savvy about how to build a rewarding and challenging career in Washington. I found her analysis of the difference between policy work, political work, and legal work really interesting.”
Ambassador Miriam Sapiro ’86, deputy U.S. trade representative, appeared at the second event in this year’s series, a reception for NYU Law students and alumni at the home of Eric Koenig ’84 and Amy Schwartz. Sapiro, speaking in a personal capacity, shared some of the highlights of her job. Guests enjoyed Middle Eastern cuisine while networking.
Julie Brill ’85, who sits on the Federal Trade Commission, will meet with students on July 13. On July 16, students will tour the Supreme Court, while a panel of recent alumni in federal agencies and on Capitol Hill will convene on July 27.
The Guarini Government Summer Series is named after Frank Guarini '50 (LL.M. '55), the former New Jersey Congressman. In 2010, PILC is funding nearly 40 percent more D.C.-based public service internships than in 2009.
Posted on June 29, 2010