New York Law School (NYLS) students make up a unique group—they come from different backgrounds, homes, and cultures, but also have a wide array of aspirations and hopes for their futures. In this month’s edition of Humans of NYLS, we sat down with four engaging law students, nominated by their peers, and got to know them as people and future legal professionals.
Ronald Alfaro ’23 Evening
Ronald Alfaro ’23 Evening is currently a 4L Evening J.D. candidate at NYLS. After spending the last three years toiling away at one of New York’s largest plaintiff’s personal injury firms, he figured the defense has some valid points and has recently accepted a new role at a boutique midtown defense firm where he seeks to further expand his legal knowledge.
The legal field was not his first love, however. This Florida man has always held the arts in the highest regard. In his free time, you can find him either composing a new song or working on his highly anticipated comic GENDRA.
Blanca Gates ’24
Blanca Gates ’24 is a 2L at New York Law School. She studied criminal justice at the University of New Haven which set her on the path to law school.
Shortly after completing her undergraduate studies, Gates started working for Project Reset at the Center for Court Innovation (CCI). She is currently the Vice President of NYLS’s Latin American Law Student Association (LALSA); Vice President of Social Action for MetroLALSA, the regional organization for the Latin American Law Student Association; and a Region II Representative for the Hispanic Bar Association. Gates is also a research assistant for Professor Britney Wilson.
Jacob Koenigson ’24 Evening
By day Jacob Koenigson ’24 Evening works as a paralegal in the Investment Management Group at Lowenstein Sandler LLP; by night he is a 3L Evening here at NYLS. Originally a New Jersey native, Koenigson lived abroad in Israel from age 18 to 26. During that time, he served in the Israeli Army as a tank commander for 2.5 years. Following his army service, Koenigson completed his undergraduate degree at Reichman University, and then he moved back to New York in August of 2019 and began developing his legal career. After working at Lowenstein for three years, he found he is most interested in finance-related law, including derivatives and structured products. He looks forward to spending his summer this year exploring the field at Alston & Bird. During his free time (during the summer mostly) he enjoys reading, hiking, and exploring new places.
Michael Tashiro ’23
Michael Tashiro ’23 is a 3L student from Staten Island, New York. He graduated from Fordham University Rose Hill with a major in political science and a minor in English. Throughout undergrad, Tashiro interned for the New York State Senate and then transitioned to the legal field at a criminal defense firm. Since then, he has worked in family, immigration, and corporate law firms before ending up in his favorite field, real estate law.
In his spare time, he enjoys making art through different mediums, meditation, yoga, video games, and exploring new music.
If you’d like to meet more of our “Humans of NYLS,” check out the November feature!