Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Miner ’07 and Erin Miner ’08
Our Alumni Spotlight Series features some of the most exciting, ambitious, and successful members of our alumni community—NYLS graduates making real differences in New York City and beyond.
In this installment, we caught up with the Miners, Aaron and Erin, who graduated from New York Law School in 2007 and 2008, respectively. What first began in a crowded elevator nearly 20 years ago has led them to become life partners, parents to two children, and highly successful lawyers who support one another endlessly.
One Family, Four Lawyers
Back when he was a “tiny wee kid,” Aaron Miner ’07 spent his time chasing his sister around a law office in Upstate New York. This wasn’t much of a problem for the firm’s owners, considering the kids running around were their own. Around this time, Aaron’s uncle, The Honorable Roger J. Miner ’56, was preparing to serve as a federal judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a role that his nephew would see him sworn into.
Miner’s connection to NYLS began decades before he was born. He is not only the nephew of Judge Miner but also the grandson of Judge Miner’s father, Abram Miner, Class of 1926. All around him were lawyers—his parents, his uncle, his grandfather—all of whom embodied the robust value of legal education.
“It all made a big impression on me, growing up around the [legal] industry,” Miner recalls. “Especially the connection with New York Law School.” It almost seems destined; Miner’s long-standing familiarity with the law and with NYLS led him straight down the path to the School’s doors.
“It kind of just came together.”
At the same time, Erin Miner ’08 had the law far from mind. Pursuing a business degree, Miner was initially interested in a career in advertising and marketing. But when she took a business law class that she thoroughly enjoyed and excelled in, her professor asked her the fateful question—“Have you thought about law school?”
Once the law school seed was planted, Miner began a slow but steady journey into the world of law. Although still uncertain of her path, Miner took the LSAT, eventually applying to a few law schools to see where she’d get in. “It kind of just came together,” Miner says, reflecting on her decision to pursue law. Her nonlinear journey guided her to NYLS, where she arrived excited yet unaware of all that lay ahead.
The Miners at the Hon. Roger J. Miner Reading Room Dedication in July 2013.
“It opened my eyes.”
Weeks after a brief, distant encounter inside a crowded elevator on campus, the Miners first came face-to-face at a tryout for NYLS’s Jessup International Moot Court Competition team.
“I was coaching the Jessup Moot Court Competition with a couple other people,” Aaron recalls. “We were trying out competitors to be on the team, and Erin came in like a whirlwind. I remember because the mood of the room was kind of relaxed and quiet, then Erin came in at a hundred miles per hour. She was ready to go. Immediately, the mood in the room changed from kind of relaxed to, ‘Okay, let's get down to business.’”
Erin’s first impression of Aaron was based more on his reputation than his person. Remembering the team’s period of competition prep, Erin says, “We were all working on our briefs, and we were looking for comments from the coach. Everyone kept saying, ‘Oh, don't worry, as soon as Aaron Miner gets back [from vacation], he's going to edit all your briefs. He's the best at editing. He knows every blue book. He knows every citation. He does the best legal research.’ I remember when he walked in, I said, ‘You're Aaron Miner? Here you go. Here's a list of stuff that I need help with.’ And that's how we really got to know each other better.”
When their paths converged, each of the Miners had a unique approach to the world around them. Their differences ultimately helped forge their connection as they supported each other through the trials of law school. Aaron, excelling in legal research and writing, often shared research advice with Erin. In turn, Erin inspired Aaron to become more organized and strategic, an aspect of their dynamic they say still exists today.
Reflecting on their time together at NYLS, Erin also notes the broader impact Aaron had on her law school journey. “As soon as I made the decision to go to law school, I did it to get a big firm job. That was sort of the only path for me when I entered,” Miner explains. “I was way too driven by just getting a job. Aaron came into law school with totally different goals than I had, and it opened my eyes to a more balanced, nuanced three years than I otherwise would have had.”
The Miners alongside NYLS Moot Court team members at the 2007 Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
“Aaron and Erin have a real partnership.”
Regarding the ongoing impact of their NYLS experiences on their legal careers, the Miners emphasize that the community they found at the Law School has continued to provide the utmost support. "The sense of community from New York Law School continued to be a push throughout our careers,” Aaron says.
Beyond NYLS, the Miners are surrounded by an abundant family of legal professionals who understand their lives as lawyers. But perhaps most important is the Miners’ shared experiences, which allow them to deeply empathize and support one another both personally and professionally.
This supportive dynamic has existed since the earliest days of their relationship, evident to those around them. The Miners fondly recall a funny moment from their wedding, when Aaron’s uncle and wedding officiant Judge Miner delivered a memorably punny line that encapsulated their synergy: “Aaron and Erin have a real partnership.”
The Miners at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018, where they were admitted alongside Dean Crowell and other NYLS community members.
The Miners with their two children in Fall 2023.
A Full Circle Moment
Today, Aaron is a partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and plays a pivotal role in the firm’s Securities Enforcement and Litigation practice group. He’s led legal teams across the country, handling intricate internal investigations involving major regulatory bodies such as the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Erin currently serves as the Head of Executive and Regulatory Compensation at Citigroup, Inc., where her expertise thrives at the intersection of finance and law. Her deep knowledge of compensation strategy and regulatory compliance is underscored by her tenacity. Before joining Citigroup, Erin worked at Credit Suisse, advancing steadily over 11 years thanks to her drive.
Despite pursuing different paths within their shared profession, the Miners have always clung to a common thread rooted in their NYLS experience.
“The through line is that it's possible for both of us,” says Aaron. “Nothing has ever been handed to the two of us, and I think that's probably true of a lot of New York Law School students. You're not going to the School to be handed anything on a silver platter; you're there to really learn how to become a lawyer. And it's on you, as the individual student, to really hustle and have your own personal drive to keep climbing as much as you can towards whatever goal it is. That same through line of constant hustle and drive is what led us to where we are today.”
In recognition of their tremendous legal work, leadership, and support of the New York Law School Law Review, NYLS honored the Miners at the 2024 Law Review Benefit Banquet.
"It was a full circle moment: Each of them was on the Executive Board of the Law Review during their graduating year, and each contributed so much to the journal as students," says Professor Michelle Zierler, Faculty Publisher of the Law Review. “Now, we welcome them back as honorees for their exceptional legal achievements. It was a very special evening.”
The Miners speaking at the 2024 Law Review Benefit Banquet.
“NYLS helped us maintain the confidence and willingness to keep pushing forward.”
Echoing the value of grit and determination, Erin states, “We have very different personalities and very different approaches, but I do think that New York Law School helped us maintain the confidence and the willingness to keep pushing forward and to be very resourceful.”
True to the NYLS motto, “We are New York’s law school,” the sense of ambition that the School instilled in the Miners mirrors New York City’s reputation for nurturing passionate, relentless individuals. Both Miners embody this ethos fiercely, consistently taking the initiative throughout their careers to reach the heights they enjoy today.