COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL NEW YORK CITY
The Degree Candidates of the Class of 2021
* Graduated October 21, 2020 ** Graduated February 10, 2021 *** Candidates June 30, 2021—New York Pro Bono Scholars † Candidates October 20, 2021
Claire Zena Abbadi
Valerie Achille
Kerim Kaya Aksoy
Steven Alquesta
Sara A. Al-Saadi**
Derek Adam Andersen
Nolan Kobuke Anderson
Benjamin Apfel
Eitan Arom
Raymond Arroyo
Yesenia Arroyo
Oluwatumise Asebiomo
Priya Asokan
Brigitte Aziza Atchekzai
Jake Atkins
Ida Ethiopia Ayalew***
Alexander Harris Babcock
Michael Paul Bannon
Emily Grace Barber
Jessica Dennise Barragan
Naomi Bates
Reuben R. Bauer
Joel Beacher
Joshua W. Bean
Matt Beckwith
Cole Tyler Beecher
Natalie Behr
Tal Abraham Ben-Moshe
Rachel Dahlia Bercovitz
David Maxwell Berman
Courtney M. Bibbs
Michelle Bigony
Jake Blecher
Ben Bleiberg
Michaela Bolden
Susanna Kate Booth
Brittany A. Brady
Samantha Ilana Braver
Sabrina Bremer
Adam Bresgi
Jaime Leigh Brosnan
Kyle S. Buchoff
Noah Bunnell
Andrey Burin
Lili Gordon Burns
Erin Callahan***
Nicholas “Cole” Campbell
Isabelle Mary Canaan
Alex Canzoneri
Jimmy Cao
Jordan Carpenter
Hunter Lee Carrell
Nicole Casey
Robert Casty
Nicholas J. Celli
Jennifer Chan
Nisha Chandra
Lauren Leung Chang
Kelley Changfong-Hagen
Jessie Grace Chao
Benjamin Chasan
Deling Chen
Wang Chen
Grace Dahyon Choi
Joanne Woori Choi
Sung Won Choi
Brett Christensen
Jeremy Chu
Warren Chu
Jeeyoon Chung
Timothy S. Chung
Emily L. Claffey***
Matthew Q. Clarida
Daniel L. Clayman
John S. Clayton
Connor Clerkin
Matthew C. Clifford
Olivia R. Coates
Sydney Nicole Cogswell
Avanthi Mishael Cole
Austin E. Collier
Riley C. Collins
Colin J. Conroy
Kori Cooper
Benjamin Nicholas Costanza
Ben Covington
Peter Jay Cramer
Jacqueline Cummings
Nick Cunha
Clare Sydnor Curran
Cortnay Cymrot
Benjamin Dale
Bryant Alan Davis
Jasmine Morgan De Cock
Chelsi Michelle DeTurk
Carina Kathleen Devairakkam-Brown
Matthew Karl Dial
Christopher S. Dinkel
Sandro Dinobile
Ross J. Dispenza
Brett Allen Donaldson
Sara Doudar
James Drueckhammer
Eli Dubin
Kristen Angell Dupard
Madeleine Eleanor Durbin
Haris Adnan Durrani
Alina Dvorovenko
Chi-Emeka Elizabeth Egwuagu
David Holding Eil
Jennifer El-Fakir
Alon Elhanan
Jacob Bryce Elkin
Sarah Elnahal
Louis-Gabriel Étienne Lee
Enriquez-Sarano
Emily J. Eslinger
Benjamin E. Feiner
Alexander Fields
Deandra Fike
Alec Matthew Fisher
Shirley Foo
Katharine Friel
Mengzhou “Melissa” Fu
Alexander Fung
Jack Furness
Robert Bernard Gaines
Nicolás Quaid Galván
Michael Gao
Kate Garber
Angie Garcia
Katherine Nallely Garcia**
Charlotte Rose Geaghan-Breiner
Nataliia A. Gillespie
Alisha Goel
Sophia Evangeline Goh Yi Qing
Rebecca Darin Goldberg
Ilana Gomez
Michelle Gomez-Reichman
Brenda Gonzalez Rueda
James Gordon
Shanelle I. Gordon
Margaret N. Gould
Greg Graham
Marielle Paloma Greenblatt
Zachary A. Gross
Eddie Grove
Josué Guerra
Henry Guerra-Orozco
An Guo
Amay Gupta
Sana Gupta
Hannah Gutenplan
Henry Hagen
James A.C. Hallam
Laura Lau Harder
Ian Matthew Harris
Courtney Danielle Hauck***
Robert Henry Rust Hawkins
Victoria N. Hay
Morris Hedaya
Rory Beth Heller
Ian Hesterly
Nicola Susette Hill
Ruth Hirsch
Megan Hirsh
Lawrence Z. Ho
Marc Jay Hoch
Tara Hofbauer
Stephen Hogan-Mitchell
Darren Hon
Meyer Renee Horne
Thomas Zachary Horton
Justin J. Hsuan
Bijun Huang
Qifan Huang
Hillary Hubley
Isaac Ginsberg Hudis
Marcus Sándor Hunter
Brady Huynh
Andrew Ryan Iwanicki
Arash S. Jam
Freya R. Jamison
Tyler Thomas Jankauskas
Chaitnya Bhanu Jayanti
Hanna Jeon
Kanger Jin
Khara Michelle John
Thea Laneise John
Brian B. Johnson
Tené N. Johnson
Dominique S. Jones
Young Joon Joo
Alexander Britt Jordan
Nia Joyner
Parth Vijay Kalaria***
Zachary Kaplan
Claudia Kassner
Maya Barr Katalan
Joshua A. Katz
Sara Louise Kaufhardt
Isabella J. Kendrick
Abigail Owens Kertzman
Aroosa Khokher
Borna Khoshand
Artem Khrapko
Bobby Kim
Dale Kim
Eddie Bumkeun Kim
Ellen Y. Kim
Joshua Kim
Joyce J. Kim
Karen K. Kim
Moses Kim
Jeremy Carlton King
Emilie Klovning
Robert Koehler
Cheng Jun Koh
Mitchell A. Kohles
Hannah Koo
Jacob Kornman
Randy Kreider
Susannah “Suz” Kroeber
Kodjo Elikem Amoa Kumi
Michael J. Kutz
Oliver O. Kwon
Tiffany Lam
Daphne Lambadariou
Taylor Larson
Hanna M. Lauritzen
Jenna Rae Lauter
Bou Lee
Connie J. Lee
Michelle Eugenia Lee
Yong Jun David Lee
Michael Kurt Lenker
Andrew Lent
Marc X. Leong
Eli Levin
Madison Rose Levin
Tzvi Levitin
Jenny Li***
Siyao Li
Marcus Liang
Jordan David Lieberman
Hyung Bin Daniel Lim
Jessica Y. Lim
Allison Lin
Olivia Lin
Ayana Michele Lindsey
Yilong Liu
Yuwei Liu
Daniel F. Loud
Callen Lowell
Matthew Loy
Roger Lu
Meghan M. Lucas
Emely Marie Luna
Prakriti Luthra
Ahmed N. Mabruk
Claire Carson MacLachlan
Ilana Madorsky
Nika Ariana Madyoon
Anthony Mahmud
Joshua Evan Malkin
Cristobal Abel Mancillas
Shannon Rose Marcoux
Morgan Johnson Marmaro
John J. Martin
José Jesús Martínez III
Christopher J. Mawyer
David Cheng McKinley
Katelyn McNelis
David E. Mehl
Alak Mehta
Kim Mejía-Cuéllar
Yerv Melkonyan
Daihui Meng
Aviel Menter
Alyson R. Merlin
Carlissa M Milord
Sangil Min
Chelsea K. Minuche
Gabriel Mohr
Mariel V. Mok
Nicole Molee
Cameron Francis Molis
Ricardo Morales
Harry John Morgan
Mie K. Morikubo
Danny Na
Sangbo Nam
Sherwin J. Nam
Karen I. Neugroschl
Ikechi Ngwangwa
Yang Ni
Shana Frieda Nissan
Udodilim Njideka Odera Nnamdi
Conrad Dhruv Noronha
Chinyere Ngozi Obi
Chika Onyinye Ojukwu
Ayomide Oluwapelumi Omobo
P. Pauline Oostdyk
Elizabeth Orem
Magdalena Oropeza***
Sarah Danielle Ortlip-Sommers
Sebastian Osborn
Tomiye Jenna Oshita
Basil Oswald
Alexei Laurent Owen
James Oys
Daniel Joel Palacios
Sneha K. Pandya
Claire Jung Hyun Park
Jenny Park
Seojin Park
Gregory J. Parker
Pooja Mrunal Patel
Vinay Dipak Patel
Mary Kate Patterson
Sarah Elizabeth Patterson
Samir Paul
Maxwell Pearl
Erica R. Pedersen
Elie Peltz
Harlea Alexandra Perdue
Sarah Antonia Perez**
Amira Perryman
Kelly A. Petrillo
Mai-Lee Picard
Stephen James Piotrkowski
Nicholas Joseph Tomlan Pokas
Ryan Christian Polk
Claire Michele Postman
Susannah Grace Price
Shuxin Qian
Adi Radhakrishnan
Prathyum Ramesh
William Reed
Lauren N. Reisig
Julia Rigal***
Jean-Baptiste Rioual
Michelle Ritter
Spencer Slate Robbins
Josh Robinett
Matthew Alexander Robinson
Evan Rocher
Lorena Rodriguez
Jennifer Marie Romero
Tarek Roshdy
Hannah S. Rosner
Natalie Marissa Roy
Jackson Rubinowitz
Daniel Ruzi
Karla A. Saenz
Karam Jawad Abdulsalam Salameh
Joshua Samuel
Jacob Ray Santangelo
Sankeerth Tirumala V. Saradhi
Samuel T. Schaffer*
Jordan M. Schiff
Joshua N. Schilowitz
Corey Schoellkopf***
Elon Schmidt Swartz
Nicholas Selden
Neil Bhargav Setlur
Andrew Sgarro
Bastian Shah
Natasha D. Shah
Roderick Sheng
Claire Sheridan
Marina Shew
Catherine Shu
Jake Sidransky
Sana A. Singh
Samantha Smart
George Franklin Smith IV
Gregory Smith
Andrew Smolich
Brian A. Snow
Elliot Charles Spector
Daniel M. Spicehandler
Ezra Spiro
Wilson Stamm
Connor Vignali Steelberg
J. Cory Steinberg
Ethan Stern
Megan Sullivan
Casey Perrin Sumner
Andrew Sun
Patrick Sun
Aparna Sundaram
Christopher E. Sundquist
Taylor Andrew Sutton
Corinna Miriam Svarlien
Daniel R. Sweeney
Julia Thais Szinovatz*
Yoshihito Tada
Serena Meral Taj
Aileen Tan
Christian Taylor Tatum
Niusha Tavassoli
Ashley A. Taylor
Ayelet Meryl Tbeile
Kathleen Donovan Telfer
Shavonne Hui Si Teo
Jacob Austin Todd
Sara Tofighbakhsh
Michael I. Topol
Andrew Bernard Toporoff
Samuel Truesdell
Mengyi Tu
Lydia Jane Turnage
Chizoba D. Ukairo***
Alondra Esmeralda Urbina
Luis Angel Valle
Lauren Amelia Varga
Archana Rao Petero Vasa
Clark Vaughn
Adam Voron
John Mason Waddill
Christine Wang
Wicy Wang
Jacquelyn Watson
Yi Wei
Marie E. Weisfeiler
Sara Barbara Weiss
Leo G. Weissburg
Samuel Elliott Weitzman
Alexander Chan Werner
Jack Weymer
Jillian Marie Williams
Woodworth B. Winmill
Kelsey Rose Wiseman
Jacquiley Wong
Caleb Woods
Hastings Woolston
Cindy Wu
Geoffrey Xiao
Wendy Q. Xiao
Annie Xie
Qiran “Anna” Xie
Fiona Xin
Duan Xu
Anita Nicole Haithcox Yandle
Junguk Yi
Hannah W. Yindra
John Yu
Qijia “Janna” Yu
Kate Yurkovsky
Jiahua Zeng
Barry Zhang
Silver Xingxin Zhang
Yiqun Amber Zhang
Zhihao “Amy” Zhang
Hedwig Zheng
Lanlie Zheng
Lingeng Zhuang
Patrick John Zinck***
Erica Zou
Tanner Zumwalt
EXECUTIVE MASTER OF LAWS IN GLO b AL b USINESS LAW DEGREE CANDIDATES
Maria Botero*
Winnie Chan*
Naomi Chen*
Qi Fu*
Sanjay Jhanwar*
Fengchang Liu*
Carolina Nery Selders*
Semen Shevchenko*
Xin Ye*
MASTER OF LAWS DEGREE CANDIDATES
Bruno Acevedo
Nevfel Akkasoglu
Sara Fouad Almohamadi
Sania Anwar†
Xiang Ao†
Muhammad Awais Arshad
Nahal N. Bahri
Lori Baitarian
Sea Hee Bang
Justin C. Barnes
Neta Battat
Dorea K. Batté
Marc Baumberger
Fatima Bazzi
Krishna Bhatia
Tadd C. Blair
Madeleine Bléhaut
William P. Breslin
Pichrotanak Bunthan
Stefano Castoldi
Claire Caton
Daniel H.Y. Chan
Chan Yi Cheng
Fei Chen
Jhen Shih Chen
Seok Choi†
Chua Rui Kang Ryan
Ali Dawud
David Taylor Dayton Jr.
Jiayi Deng
Yang Deng
Lucía Falcón
Rotem B. Fix
Dimitris Fthenakis
Rosario Grima Algora
Benjamin Guillon
Fahira Hasic
Maiko Hayakawa
Keisuke Hayashi
Juliana Henriques
Daiki Higashide†
Wan-Ting Huang
Yelim Hyon
Ryoichi Inoue `
* Graduated October 21, 2020 *** Candidate June 30, 2021—New York Pro Bono Scholars † Candidate October 20, 2021
Sunghwan Jeon
Luyi Jiao
Amr Jomaa
Ippei Kawase
Lune Klappe
Genki Koshiishi
Mia Kot
Anirudh Lekhi†
Ana Lenard
Julie Li
Joey Lim
Link Lin†
Jianchen Liu
Shenglan Liu†
Ying Liu
Estelle Lu
Felice Fu-An Lu
Shuaidong Lu†
Tal Maman
Antonio Ceasar R. Manila
Kathleen McFarland
Devranjan Mishra
Yukiko Nakazawa
Manon Oiknine
Niva Orion
Weiyan Ou†
Apollonia Persianis†
Anna Rainsford
Kelly Rodriguez
Joaquín Rojas-May Carrasco†
Federico Sacchi
Beata Anoush Safari†
Hiroyuki Saga
Elsa Sayag
Wanqin Shen
Xueqi Shen
Tianyu Sun
Cheng-Yu Tan
Rebecca Tan
Moran Tepman
Caroline Cordula Rahel Louise
Thomas
Vanessa Tsang
Lena van der Staaij†
Kedar S. Vishwanathan
Kevin M. Walker
Luying Wang
Qi Wang
Yifan “Wilson” Wang
Nir Weintraub
Jason P.H. Wong†
Nadav Yafit
Li Yang
Yunke Yao
Yuchun Zhang†
GRADUATION COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Austin E. Collier ’21
Chizoba D. Ukairo ’21
Lune Klappe ’21 LL.M.
A Special Tribute to the Class of 2021: the Class Gift
Each year at commencement, members of Columbia Law School’s graduating class present a class gift to the Law School as they transition from students to alumni—a tradition since the late 1990s to support the students who will follow in their footsteps.
Class gift co-chairs and committee members work diligently throughout the spring to engage all of their classmates in this effort, which consistently results in a tremendous annual class participation rate. Unfortunately, this year, as last year, the pandemic rendered this effort impossible.
Acknowledging the fortitude, flexibility, ingenuity, and compassion of the Law School’s Class of 2021 during its challenging final year, Columbia Law alumnus Mozelle Thompson CC ’76, SIPA ’79, LAW ’81—the second African American to serve as commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission—has made a gift “in honor of every member of the Columbia Law School Class of 2021.”
“I recognize these are unique times that require innovative responses. I also know these are difficult times for our students—especially those from underserved communities,” said Thompson. “My hope is that this gift will help the Class of 2021 know that they are not invisible and will serve as a beacon from someone who came 40 years before them. I have long believed in the strong bond that exists between Columbia Law alumni and students. I want them to know that I believe in them, and they should believe in themselves. They should aim high because their futures will be bright. I am excited to see how they will impact the world!”
This gift will help alleviate the unanticipated financial needs of current and future Columbia Law students that have been brought on by the global crisis.
Alumni Advice
To help celebrate this year’s graduating class, alumni leaders who generously serve on this year’s reunion committees share their advice with the newest members of the Columbia Law School alumni network. Here are some examples of their words of wisdom.
“If you choose private practice rather than public service, always make time for pro bono work. It is not only an aspect of your ethical responsibilities, but a most fulfilling activity.”
—MARK A. JACOBY ’66
“Find something you love to do. Do not be so influenced by the prestige of the position that you are engaged in work that you do not look forward to do.”
—ARTHUR S. KAUFMAN CC ’68, LAW ’71
“This pandemic will pass. When it does there will be new opportunities that didn’t exist before. . . . In a long career as a lawyer, there will be many twists and turns and numerous phases. This year is a challenge. Be flexible. Make the best of the opportunity you have, and keep the long perspective in mind.”
—JOHN J. KERR
’76
“Get the best experience you can early on: Become a good and trusted counselor first, and then take the path that will bring you the most joy. If you do the latter first, you are less likely to have the rewarding career you deserve.”
—ALFRED G. FELIU CC ’78, LAW ’81
“The law, and how it is practiced, has changed so much since we all graduated—and us old fogies have no clue how fast, or how, it will change—so this is not specific advice, but general career advice: Work hard, but draw some boundaries. Show excitement or eagerness, even when you’re overwhelmed, but don’t hesitate to ask questions. Apply critical thinking—always, whatever you do. Aim to be a lifelong learner. . . . Maintain cordial relationships with everyone—but always try to find a couple people who will have your back.”
—BARBARA WAGNER SIPA ’80, LAW ’81
“Start networking, now and never stop. . . . I don’t mean just when you need a job. I mean make connections, reach out, initiate contacts, have lunch, give updates, find mentors, keep in touch with former colleagues and classmates and even professors, and tend these relationships so that you have them when you need them.”
—LAURA PULA COOK ’81
“You have more power over your future than you think. Take ownership of your career, and don’t settle for others determining your success or fulfillment.”
—NOBUHISA ISHIZUKA CC ’82, LAW ’86
“The world will change in many ways, but the qualities of a good lawyer won’t. Be open to new technology and approaches, but maintain the essential attributes that those you admire have always demonstrated.”
—JONATHAN L. WALCOFF ’86
“A commitment to excellence is likely what got you to and through Columbia Law School. This is not the time to abandon it or rest on your laurels! Sticking to that commitment in the years following law school is the foundation to a successful career either in or outside the law.”
—SCOTT A. BARSHAY ’91
“Never turn down an opportunity to learn something new. Career paths take strange and unexpected turns, and chance moments can lead you to the thing you love to do most. Be open to the possibilities.”
—NICOLAS BOURTIN ’96
“Build an emotional bank that can support you on your rainy days. Get a personal board of directors who can help you identify your blind spots.”
—CLAUDIA
M. MARMOLEJO ’96 LL.M.
“Be flexible, and adapt to change. You will find yourself in work environments, situations, etc., that evolve over time; when you find yourself in those situations, rather than resisting or trying to preserve the status quo, think about ways you can adapt your strengths and ways of working to those changes and see them as an opportunity to step up and accelerate your growth.”
—IRIS S. CHEN ’01
“Listen and learn from others . . . particularly to your clients. While you’ve been skillfully trained to issue spot, always listen to what your client ultimately wants to achieve and work to bridge the gap and deal make as opposed to deal break.”
—ALIA TUTOR ’01
“Don’t follow the crowd; follow your heart. Make sure what you are doing serves your answer to the question, ‘Why did you go to law school?’”
—DAVID G. BRUDER ’01
“Remember that you are each other’s greatest resource at every stage of your careers. Be sure to remain, at a minimum, professional contacts and, at best, friends—if not even family. When you can help, please do. And when you need help, don’t hesitate to ask each other first. . . . You are there to help one another as classmates, even if you all end up in many different directions.”
—ANDREA C. SAAVEDRA ’06
“Maintain the friendships you made at law school. They are the ones that were made without agenda, are real, and will be by your side in the future.”
—NANDINI KHAITAN ’11 LL.M.
Messages From Development and Alumni Relations and the Columbia Law School Association
Dear Members of the Class of 2021,
With your graduation from Columbia Law School, you join the ranks of judges, corporate attorneys, public defenders, CEOs, world leaders, and alumni in countless other roles who are making their mark on the world. I know you have just begun to make yours.
One of the special things about Columbia Law is the vibrancy of our alumni community. You are now part of an extended family comprising 28,000 Law School graduates. As you navigate your professional career, this global network can be a valuable source of guidance and support. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity by making personal connections and attending alumni events.
Of course, you will also have the chance to give back in many ways. Please consider nurturing the legal careers of future students and graduates through mentorship. You can also contribute by volunteering for class reunion celebrations, serving on an alumni board or council, and becoming a loyal donor to the Law School.
Congratulations on your impressive and hard-earned accomplishment in the face of extraordinary challenges. I wish you every success, personally and professionally, on the road ahead.
Warmly,
Ryan D. Cairns Associate Dean of Development and Alumni Relations
Dear Members of the Class of 2021,
Congratulations on your graduation from Columbia Law School. As the newest members of our alumni community, I welcome you. For we all share a special bond—a bond that links us with Columbia Law alumni across the generations.
Columbia Law quite literally transformed my life. As rewarding as my three years in law school were, the 30 years since my graduation have been an incredible journey. Wherever your path may take you, I hope you will remain engaged as a member of our Columbia Law family.
A key part of our mission at the association is to create opportunities to nurture your relationships with fellow alumni. Please consider joining us for events, sharing personal and professional updates, and serving on our board one day.
This past year, we lost one of our own, the incomparable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’59. Justice Ginsburg once observed, “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” Words of encouragement, but more than that, words that affirm our common humanity—which is what the law is at its best.
As a Columbia Law graduate, you are among the very best. We at the Columbia Law School Association will be there with you and for you every step of the way.
My warmest wishes as you enter the next stage of what I know will be a promising career.
Sincerely,
Rudy Carmenaty ’90 President, Columbia Law School Association Board of Directors
* Member of the Harlan Fiske Stone Society
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COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL