New York Law School is proud to congratulate alumna Heidi Goldsmith ’21 Evening on her feature in Weil Quarterly. It’s a high honor: Only one lawyer is selected for each issue of the global magazine from Weil’s global associate and counsel ranks.
The article focuses on Heidi’s many achievements: Heidi is an associate in Weil’s securities litigation practice with a dedication to asylum claims in her pro bono work, and she previously had a career as an award-winning aerospace structural design engineer for the Department of the Navy designing helicopters and tiltrotors for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Her work there was quite literally life or death: In one instance, a helicopter with crashworthy seats that Heidi helped to design crashed, and the 32 military servicemen seated in the back of the aircraft walked away relatively unscathed.
Heidi made a substantial career change in 2017 when she joined NYLS as a 1L in our Evening Division. Her resolve strengthened as she witnessed the impact lawyers can have on people’s lives: She was especially affected by news images of lawyers gathering in JFK Airport, ready to assist individuals who were left without recourse by President Trump’s executive order banning entry to the United States for people from predominantly Muslim countries.
As a law student, Heidi found a passion for moot court and trial advocacy. She was a deeply dedicated student, often forgoing the attractions of New York City in favor of studying, and she served on the New York Law School Law Review editorial board and was a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council. In May of 2021, she graduated first in her class.
“Heidi and I became fast friends when she enrolled at NYLS. I have enjoyed our connection as contemporaries, and as her dean, I have been so proud to watch her seize the endless opportunities NYLS offers its students,” says Dean and President Anthony W. Crowell. “Heidi brings a unique blend of wisdom and pragmatism from her years as a top naval engineer along with a compelling set of aspirations as to all that she can achieve as a lawyer. She is a beyond-rare and extraordinary asset to those individuals and institutions she serves. The world needs more Heidis!”
After an externship with Hon. Jesse M. Furman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and an honors internship in the New York City Law Department’s Special Litigation Unit, Heidi joined Weil, where she has made major contributions. Her profile in Weil Quarterly outlines her deeply impactful work, and since publication, she has continued to grow her asylum practice by adding two new cases. She continues to pursue her passion for Moot Court by joining the New York City Bar National Moot Court Competition Committee, where she was an author of this year’s competition fact pattern which combined her love for aircraft design, securities litigation, and the Lord of the Rings book series.