Student Spotlight: Simon Schaitkin ’26

Managing Editor, New York University Law Review
Jo Freeman Public Service Scholar

How did you decide to pursue law?

It was a circuitous road, with more tap shoes than you might expect! I started out as a musical theater performer—my little joke is that, in my last year as a performer, I worked on three different productions of Mamma Mia!, and that was enough to drive me from the industry. But in all seriousness, I was frustrated by the power imbalance between actors and production staff members, and I left the industry looking for a way to combat those sorts of imbalances.

I worked a few different jobs over the next few years, and I gradually realized that the law was one way I could challenge workplace injustice. Law school isn’t exactly inexpensive, however, so I started looking for jobs that could show me what a career in the law could look like without committing me to six figures of debt. Eventually, I became a legal assistant at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight—a plaintiff-side firm that specializes in employment discrimination and sexual harassment. Helping attorneys take depositions, prepare for trials and arbitrations, and work with clients really strengthened my interest in law. By the end of my time at the firm, I knew I wanted to be a plaintiff-side litigator.

You transferred to NYU Law after your 1L year. What has it been like to transfer and start at a new school? How has your experience been at NYU?

Yes, I transferred from Fordham Law. I’m really grateful to be a transfer student.

I’m a big believer in cultivating empathy and perspective through embracing a diverse range of experiences. For example, I studied math and science for most of undergrad, pursued musical theater professionally, and then worked as a legal assistant prior to law school. I’m really grateful for those experiences, because they’ve given me a fuller picture of the world. And I feel similarly about being a transfer student. I’ve seen firsthand what two different law schools look like. In thinking about how to show up for and contribute to NYU Law, it’s helpful to be able to reflect on my time at both schools. I’m incredibly grateful to both institutions for having shaped me as a legal thinker, leader, and person.

My experience at NYU Law has been very positive! In transferring here, I was anxious. I was worried about making friends. I was worried about finding mentors. Why would former ACLU litigators and titans of constitutional law take an interest in me? And I was worried about navigating an unfamiliar academic environment. I struggled to see how I could master the Business Judgment Rule when I was still learning how to master Brightspace. (Come to think of it, I may still be learning how to master Brightspace.)

It turns out I needn’t have worried quite so much. Students went out of their way to welcome me to NYU Law, offering their guidance and friendship. NYU Law’s faculty likewise made room for me in a way I never dreamed possible. Leaders and luminaries of the legal profession put themselves on the line, again and again, to help me find my way. And while navigating a new academic environment was challenging, NYU Law’s terrific administrative staff has made the transition much, much easier. 

In short, I’m very happy to be here! And I’m very grateful for all of the experiences that have led me, from the LSAT to my last semester.

You’re a managing editor of the NYU Law Review. Tell us about that experience and how you took on the role.

I work alongside two other phenomenal students, Harika Kollipara and Jonah Harwood, who are also managing editors. My main responsibilities include liaising between 2Ls and 3Ls on the journal, parceling out work for 2L members, and serving as the Law Review’s Treasurer.

One of the big reasons I was interested in running for managing editor was that I wanted to make the Law Review a more welcoming and inclusive space. As I mentioned, I’m a transfer student, so Law Review was a huge home base for me! I met many close friends and mentors through Law Review, and I wanted to give back to that community.

As a managing editor, I’ve tried to make Law Review a community experience in addition to a professional one. That looks like a lot of different things—using our resources more intentionally to recognize and reward the many hours our members devote to the Law Review; ; facilitating fun activities and events, so that members have more opportunities to forge lasting connections; and maintaining mentorship programs, to name a few. But in general, I try to make Law Review accessible, inclusive, and—heaven forbid—fun for everyone.

You’re graduating this spring. What’s your advice for 1L students?

My biggest advice is to take all advice with a grain of salt! One thing I found overwhelming in my first two years of law school was the number of people offering authoritative advice. "You must start outlining in September," or "You absolutely have to read the Civ Pro supplement," that sort of thing. I think law school is an incredibly individualized experience, and what works for one person almost certainly will not work the exact same way for another person. A very simple example: During 1L year, I used to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to do readings. I would not recommend that everyone do that! But I’m very much an early bird—I’d much rather wake up early than stay up late.

I’m willing to bet that if you’re a 1L reading this—whether you go to NYU or not—you’re a very intelligent person who knows how to study. Only you can say for certain what the best way for you to get through law school is! Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of great advice out there, and I could not have gotten through law school without the help of friends, mentors, and teachers. But no one person will have all the answers for you. The best way to get through law school is, I think, to collect a lot of advice, take it all with a huge grain of salt, and then do what you think will work best for you.

Which Law School class or experience has had the biggest impact on you?

Not to give a lawyer’s answer, but it’s hard to answer this question. That’s one of the things I’m grateful for about NYU Law—I’ve met amazing professors and students, all of whom might end up being life-changing mentors or colleagues down the line.

That said, if you’re asking what experience has meant the most to me, I would probably say [Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law] Richard Pildes’s Law of Democracy class. I’m deeply fascinated by election law, and I’ve wanted to study with Professor Pildes for years—I wrote multiple “Why NYU” statements about it. Learning from him didn’t disappoint. It was fascinating to unpack the thorny question of how to build a free and fair election from scratch. And Professor Pildes punctuates the class with firsthand tales of the various seminal cases that he helped litigate.

If you’re asking what experience has taught me the most about what it means to be a young lawyer, I’d probably say working on the Law Review. Reading and editing the vast variety of pieces we publish has taught me a lot—not just about disparate areas of law, but about writing and editing, too! 

What do you most like to do outside of class? What’s your favorite way to spend a day in New York City?

If I’m feeling social, I love playing Dungeons and Dragons. I am a huge board game nerd, and I think D&D is sort of the ultimate board game—complicated rules that allow the players to do basically anything they can imagine while creating a story together. Plus, it’s a great way to commit to spending time with your friends on a regular basis.

If I’m feeling artistic, I love checking out shows in the city. I mentioned that I was a musical theater performer in a prior life, and I still love to check out new shows. I took my fiancée to see Wicked for our anniversary, I’m seeing a new play called Data later this month, and I’m hoping to see Ragtime before Joshua Henry—or any other of the current cast members—leave the show.

If I’m feeling nature-deprived, I love to walk in the park. I live in Astoria, and Astoria Park is—in my totally unbiased opinion—the most beautiful park in New York City. So I love to pop in a D&D podcast and go for a stroll by the river.