Nicholas
Melvoin ’14

“I came to NYU Law after teaching in the inner city. I wanted to advocate for my students in a different forum...”

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nicolas

Nicholas
Melvoin ’14

“I came to NYU Law after teaching in the inner city. I wanted to advocate for my students in a different forum...”

My Pathway at a Glance

Before NYU Law

Teach For America

MA, Loyola Marymount University

BA, Harvard University

 

Academic Interests

Constitutional Law

Education Policy

Root-Tilden-Kern Scholar

Guarini Scholar

Beyond the Books

NYU Review of Law & Social Change

Education Law and Policy Society

Legal Outreach

Suspension Representation Project

Summer Work

ACLU, Los Angeles

The White House, Office of Justice and Regulatory Policy, Washington, DC

After NYU Law

Vice President, Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education (elected 2017)

Leadership Training

“I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of the Root-Tilden-Kern and the Guarini Government scholarship programs, the first for public interest, and the second for government service. The mentorship experiences and the camaraderie among students are incredible.”

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1L Highlight: Inspiring Faculty

Professor Kenji Yoshino is a rock star in constitutional law. To see someone who is so knowledgeable communicate so effectively was incredible to me, as a former teacher.

2L Summer: Working at the White House

“I worked with the Domestic Policy Council’s Office of Justice and Regulatory Policy—‘Team Justice,’ as I like to call it. We focused on civil rights and criminal justice reform. To walk through the White House gates every day and to be able to meet the president and the first lady was an amazing way to spend the summer.”
melvoin whitehouse
melvoin_cauldwell

3L Highlight: A Colloquium

“I took an education law seminar and an education law and policy colloquium with Professor Paulette Caldwell. She was also my adviser for my substantial writing requirement on education litigation. A lot of what I’ll take into my career in education will be thanks to Professor Caldwell’s courses.”

Memorable Moment: Taking the stand on education inequality

“When I was a teacher, I worked with the ACLU to bring a lawsuit on behalf of my students, arguing that seniority-based layoffs in schools violated the students' rights to equal educational opportunity. As a 3L, I testified in another case about the effects of teacher layoffs. I understood a lot more of the nuances. It really made the journey seem worthwhile.”