Student organizations are a vital part of New York Law School’s (NYLS) dynamic student community, creating career and networking opportunities on and off campus, matching academic and professional mentors, and helping students build lifelong connections. These four law students, nominated by their peers to be featured in this month’s Humans of NYLS series, are leading the way in different organizations across campus. Learn more about their community involvement, their career aspirations, and their advice for 1L students.
Katie Condon ’23
Katie Condon is a 3L day student. She proudly serves as the Development Editor for the New York Law School Law Review, Co-President for the Legal Association for Women (LAW), a Student Ambassador, and a Family Law Teaching Assistant for Professor Hayley Pine ’15. Last year, Condon was a Contracts Teaching Assistant for Professor Arthur Leonard and a Civil Procedure Teaching Assistant for Professor Brandt Goldstein.
Prior to coming to NYLS, she attended Syracuse University, where she majored in political science. This past summer, she was a summer associate at Troutman Pepper. After graduation, she looks forward to joining Troutman Pepper as a first year associate in their business litigation department, where she also plans to participate in meaningful pro bono opportunities. When Condon isn’t pursuing her legal education, she’s playing with her Cavachon dog, Piper!
Her advice for 1Ls? “Take care of yourself. Law school can consume a lot of your time and prove challenging. It’s so important to reserve time every day to do something you love.”
Kayla Dobrinski ’24 Evening
Kayla Dobrinski is a 3L evening student. At NYLS, she is a Training Coordinator in the Moot Court Association and is Vice President of the Criminal Law Society. During the day, she works as a trial preparation assistant for a district attorney’s office in New York City. She took the job immediately upon graduating college and, as a result, decided to attend law school in the evening, rather than during the day as originally planned.
Prior to law school, she attended Molloy College in Rockville Centre, New York, where she graduated with an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and a Paralegal Certificate. After graduating college, she moved to Manhattan for law school.
In her spare time, Dobrinski enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family. She also enjoys taking workout classes and finding good places to watch the sunset and sunrise.
Her best tip for 1Ls is: “Don’t lose yourself in the law school process—make time for the things and people that make you happy.”
Nelson O. Melgar Martinez ’23 Evening
Nelson O. Melgar Martinez is a 4L evening student and President of the Student Bar Association (SBA). He currently interns with a federal judge and will participate in the NYLS Securities Arbitration Clinic this spring. A Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, he did not always plan to become a lawyer, but applied to law school to do his part to connect marginalized communities to legal services and to promote their fair participation in society.
Melgar Martinez came to the United States from Honduras at 13 in search of opportunity. He attended Nassau Community College and then—after qualifying for DACA—CUNY Hunter College. He pursued a bachelor’s degree at a time when few resources existed for undocumented folks. Thus, it took him eight years of part-time school and full-time work to obtain his degree. Based on his experiences, Melgar Martinez’s journey to activism began in advocating for comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level and a Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act at the state level to make undocumented students eligible for state loans and grants to pursue their higher education. His dedicated efforts did not go unnoticed, and he was even invited by a U.S. Congressman to attend a State of Union Address to Congress.
After members of the community began relying on him to solve legal issues—work which his experience did not prepare him to handle—Melgar Martinez applied to law school. At NYLS, he has continued that penchant for community involvement and advocacy as a member of the SBA, first as a senator, then as evening vice president, and now as its first Latino and evening student president.
For 1Ls, he advises them to: “Get involved in school affairs early. The people we meet in law school form the foundation of our network as legal professionals. So, I encourage anyone to expand that network to include not just classmates, but also others via the terrific student organizations the School has to offer.” He also welcomes any and all NYLS students to connect with him and SBA.
Taylor Moore ’23
Taylor Moore is a 3L day student. She is originally from Chicago, Illinois and attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for undergraduate school. GO BLUE! At NYLS, Moore serves as the President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and a Student Organization Liaison for the Legal Association of Women (LAW). She also is a part of the executive board of the Northeast Region of the Black Law Students Association
Moore is interested in intellectual property (IP), entertainment, corporate, international, and regulatory law. Her favorite law classes so far have been International Human Rights Law and In-House Counsel Experience; she appreciates how passionate the professors are about their work and field of study as well as the constant connections to the world outside of school. She’s excited to continue exploring these fields and finding ways to give back to her community.
Outside of class, Moore enjoys hanging out with friends, reading, and watching TV and movies. She wants to make sure that 1Ls know: “Comparing yourself will get you nowhere. You may sit in the same classroom with 20–60 other students, but you are all living totally different experiences and learning at different rates. Do your best, take time for your mental and physical health, and enjoy it to the best of your ability. Oh, and always ask for help!”
Interested in meeting more “Humans of NYLS”? Check out a past feature!