Carly Rothman Siditsky had already worked as a news reporter and a communications professional at two public policy think tanks when she decided to apply to law school to develop her skills as an advocate.
Siditsky quickly found opportunities to advocate within Rutgers. With two young children at home and a third on the way, she began to connect with other student caregivers and discovered a need for networking and mentorship. “There was no easy way to find each other,” she recalled. To meet this need, she founded the Rutgers Association of Student Caregivers, an organization that advocates for student caregivers within the law school; organizes events on topics relevant to caregiving students and professionals; and provides peer mentorship to student caregivers – a function that proved critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During a time of intense pressure and isolation for many law students raising kids and caring for other loved ones, RASC offered regular opportunities to connect, reflect, and share resources and support,” she said. “We got through this year together.”
During her time at Rutgers, Siditsky excelled. She became an Eagleton Fellow and worked in the New Jersey Senate Majority Office. She served as a fellow for The Inclusion Project, an extern in the Attorney General’s Division on Civil Rights, and an Executive Editor of the Rutgers University Law Review.
In addition, she worked as a research assistant for four professors and as a judicial intern for U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp, and was recognized as a Saul Tischler Scholar in both 2019 and 2020, which is awarded for outstanding academic achievement. She was also honored with a New Jersey Women Lawyers Association Scholarship and graduated summa cum laude, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and received the Alumni Senior Prize.
Meanwhile, outside of law school, she formed and led the Racial Justice Task Force at her synagogue, convened an antiracist interfaith coalition of local congregations, and joined with other parents and educators to form an Equity Council in her local school district.
After graduation, Siditsky will join Troutman Pepper as an associate and in 2022, she will clerk for Judge Jane Richards Roth, who serves on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Siditsky said Rutgers Law appealed to her as a nontraditional student, and she appreciated the flexibility of taking classes in either Newark or Camden. “Rutgers is a place that, for generations, has welcomed students for whom a legal career was not an obvious or easy path. If law school is a quiet dream in your heart, Rutgers is a place where you can give voice to that dream and make it come true.”