At New York Law School (NYLS), our students bring a variety of backgrounds and unique perspectives with them to their legal studies. Many are the first in their families to attend law school—81 percent of NYLS’s entering class in 2021 were First Generation Professionals and 24 percent were First Generation College Students—and several are first generation immigrants as well. The Student Bar Association’s “Humans of NYLS” series features members of the student body who have been nominated by their peers for their outstanding achievements and contributions. Meet some of these students in our dynamic community.
Amela Bajramovic 2L
At NYLS, Amela Bajramovic is a Junior Staff Editor for the New York Law School Law Review, Diversity Officer for the Student Bar Association, Membership Advancement Chair for First Generation Professionals, and a Student Ambassador. Additionally, she was a teaching assistant for Professor Arthur Leonard’s Contracts class last fall and is currently a Civil Procedure Teaching Assistant for Professor Brandt Goldstein.
Prior to coming to NYLS, she attended Binghamton University, where she majored in political science. As a New York State native, she felt like it was only right to pursue her legal education in Manhattan.
As a first generation immigrant, Bajramovic pursued law school with an interest in the legal aspects of immigration. Last summer, she had the opportunity to intern at the Department of Homeland Security, where she collaborated with immigration trial attorneys in Newark, New Jersey, concurrently sparking an interest in litigation. Her focus has since shifted from the public to private sector, and she is eager to further develop her experience in litigation—specifically in the corporate setting—at Debevoise & Plimpton this summer.
Jeremy Gonzales-Gottlieb 1L Evening
Jeremy Gonzales-Gottliebwas born in Boston, Massachusetts; grew up in Connecticut; and returned to the Greater Boston area where he graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in political science and East Asian studies (Chinese specialization). He also holds the Certified Fraud Examiner designation and attends events around New York City devoted to the prevention and detection of fraud.
Gonzales-Gottlieb has been employed as an investigator with various firms in New York. As an investigator, he conducts due diligence and other specialized research on high-net worth individuals and companies in the United States or abroad. More recently, he returned from a 10-month business trip in Manila, Philippines, where he trained a group of employees on the intricacies of due diligence, how courts are structured in the United States, and how to write tailored reports for the company’s clientele. Living and working overseas was a rewarding experience—one that propelled his interest in the field of international law. He also fell in love with Filipino culture and, of course, met his amazing husband from the Philippines upon his return.
In terms of hobbies (whenever there is time outside of law school, of course), he loves to read, attend Broadway shows, and play as an outside hitter on his volleyball team. In fact, no matter how busy and crazy his law school week gets, he always tries to reserve at least 45 minutes of play on the court!
Peter McNally 1L
Peter McNally was born in Queens, New York where he still currently lives with his parents and two younger brothers. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 2021 with a major in psychology and a minor in Justice, Law, and Society. While there, he participated in Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing one-on-one friendships with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He was also a founding member of the Theta Xi fraternity chapter at the university.
During his time at URI, McNally found his passion for criminal litigation, and he knew the next step was law school. When returning to New York and deciding between schools, he loved the idea of returning to Manhattan, where he had attended Xavier High School, and he knew that NYLS would be a perfect place to continue his education.
McNally is the first in his family to graduate college and attend graduate school, so he knew he had to join the First Generation Professionals at NYLS; he is also a member of the Criminal Law Society. Recently, he started working part-time as a private investigator with an investigative firm based out of Brooklyn. Though he is still very much interested in criminal law and white-collar crime, the position gives him the opportunity to work in tort law. Once granted admission to the bar, he plans on staying in New York to jumpstart his career. Over the summer, McNally will be interning for Abrams Fensterman as a legal clerk.
In his spare time between classes and schoolwork, he is usually going out in the city with his friends, trying out new restaurants, or taking scenic drives around Long Island.
Armine Parmakszyan 2L Evening
At NYLS, Armine Parmakszyan is a member of the Dispute Resolution Team and the Media, Entertainment, and Fashion Law Association.
For the past five years, she has been working at NBCUniversal as a contract specialist within the business and legal affairs division. She provides all types of legal support necessary to ensure the success of broadcast television shows. Her passion for the entertainment field led her to pursue a law degree to help further her professional development.
Parmakszyan immigrated to the United States with her family from Yerevan, Armenia and was raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in history, has a M.A. in history, and received her Paralegal Certificate from UCLA Extension. She is the first in her family to attend law school. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, working out, cooking, spending time with loved ones, and exploring new places in the city.
Interested in meeting more “Humans of NYLS”? Read about the four students highlighted in April!