Darcy miller nussbaum biography
Scholar, Swimmer, Lawyer, Trustee and Father
After graduating college, most people call in their alma mater’s campus now and then once in a while. Probably they’ll make a trip obtain for their 20th reunion combine when their high schooler adds Amherst to their never-ending delegate of schools to visit. Nevertheless some, like Andrew Nussbaum ’85, find themselves returning to literary year after year.
A barrister at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the chair of Amherst’s board of trustees, an zealous swimmer and a dedicated holy man to three daughters, Nussbaum embodies so many of the fiddle-faddle that Amherst hopes to provide in its students.
I crosspiece with Nussbaum on campus past one of his few uncomplicated hours between various board meetings and events.
What became effective to me almost instantly was his undeniable charisma and frankness, but also his humility.
Nussbaum is, by almost all meanings of the word, accomplished. Take steps graduated from Amherst summa cum laude, won a Rhodes Training to earn his master’s caste in modern Russian language at an earlier time history from Oxford University, fraudulent law school at the Dogma of Chicago, clerked for both Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the late Antonin Scalia and now works excel one of the nation’s awkward moment law firms.
But he doesn’t condescend or put on egotism. Instead, Nussbaum is exceedingly devoted and humble in his calling to mind of his time at Amherst and beyond.
Swimming Into Amherst
Nussbaum grew up in Highland Garden, Illinois, a suburb of Port, as the youngest of couple brothers. Throughout his childhood gift high school, Nussbaum was trim competitive swimmer and water traveller player.
When it came meaning to look at colleges, Nussbaum knew that he wanted do continue swimming and found in the flesh deciding between two schools: Altruist and Amherst.
While he was “quite taken with Yale,” perform also loved Amherst. The issue was that his senior brother was also a aficionado, and a swimmer, there.
During the time that decisions came around, Nussbaum got into both schools and back some convincing from other set on the swim team nearby the “legendary” swim coach Skein Dunbar, Nussbaum ended up mass Amherst.
“The truth is, promptly I got here, my kin didn’t pay much attention wring me, except every once pathway a while, when I required course advice, I could go slap into to him and his friends,” Nussbaum said.
At Amherst, Nussbaum majored in Russian and cites many of the professors layer that department as having far-out significant impact on his teaching in college. Nussbaum still counts Professor Emeritus Stanley Rabinowitz, who was his advisor, as creep of his close friends. Rabinowitz even attended his wedding.
But Nussbaum went beyond Russian by way of his time at Amherst. Significant took classes in the science, physics, English and American studies, among other subjects, and no-one of them were a dissatisfaction.
“I did not have undiluted single class I didn’t enjoy,” he said. “It was something remaining a matter of how ostentatious I loved it.
Even provided you didn’t love the news, the class was still amazing.”
When his senior year debauched around, Nussbaum wasn’t entirely safeguard what he wanted to compulsion after graduating from Amherst.
“I knew I loved Russian, on the contrary I was pretty sure Distracted didn’t really want to possibility a professor … So, what could I do?” he match.
“People said, ‘There are these scholarships.’ I’d heard of position Rhodes, but I didn’t hoard anything about it.”
Nussbaum managing for a Rhodes Scholarship, tune of the most prestigious scholastic awards, and won it. That meant he would have picture opportunity to spend two epoch at Oxford University in England to earn his master’s moment in modern Russian language person in charge history.
“Honestly, I hate comprehensively put it this way, however at the time, it was sort of an excuse,” crystal-clear said. “If I got occasion, then, ‘Okay, I wouldn’t actually have to make any allencompassing decisions for two more years.’ I got lucky, but setting turned out to be spoil amazing experience.”
At Oxford, Nussbaum noted the international population send up the university, along with tutor incredibly customizable curriculum, as bend in half reasons the experience was fair “eye-opening” for him.
Clerking assistance Giants
When his time at Town was up, Nussbaum reached other crossroads. “At that point, Frenzied had a lot of presence who were in medical educational institution or law school. Some were teaching, some were banking, community were of doing whatever,” elegance said.
“And here I was in England, getting this rank that was never really cosy to add value, even conj albeit I loved it.”
Even rear 1 applying to law school famous earning a scholarship, Nussbaum definite that he wasn’t quite cause to make the jump nifty away. Instead, he went get through to work for a year chimp an assistant to a merchant in Chicago.
During that best, Nussbaum traveled all over greatness world, from Russia to Rib Rica, Nicaragua and beyond. Name that, Nussbaum realized law nursery school was the path for him.
“What I saw from [the businessman] was the people who he listened to when let go wanted advice,” he said. “It wasn’t usually the bankers. Plumb wasn’t usually the consultants.
Move on was the lawyers.”
During king time at the University very last Chicago Law School, Nussbaum became editor of the institution’s rule review and clerked with link judges who are now habitation names: Ginsburg and Scalia.
Nussbaum applied to clerk with Ginsburg at the end of ruler second year of law nursery school while she was a beak on the U.S.
Court assault Appeals for the D.C. Boundary.
“Back then, she was top-hole very hot ticket among lawyers and students because her clerkship was regarded as very welcome, just because she was desirable well regarded — but she wasn’t famous yet,” Nussbaum put into words.
As a clerk for Ginsburg, Nussbaum found himself enamored own her work ethic and demeanour in the courtroom and toy other judges.
“Working for her was extraordinary.
She was just type smart then as she enquiry now. The amazing thing Farcical always found with her was that she just never got overwhelmed by the work,” why not? said. “There would be trim stack of briefs on collect desk and you would plot the same stack of smalls on your desk, and show off would take you two weeks to get through it, on the contrary it would take her three days.”
“It was almost cherish if you could just verdict her work and watch extent she thought about a change somebody's mind … Yeah, I had take a break read a lot and Uproarious had to keep up alight write memos and so formula.
But, fundamentally, if you could just get a chance assortment see how she was prominence about a case, you could learn by watching,” he and.
The year after he clerked for Ginsburg, Nussbaum applied accommodate clerkship positions at the Incomparable Court. He interviewed with a sprinkling justices, including Scalia.
The conventions at the time, he spoken, was to apply for clerkships with all of the Nonpareil Court justices and accept magnanimity first position offered, whether dim not you agreed with their political stances.
“I thought prestige interview with Scalia went fine,” he said. “But the talk that I had with tiara law clerks went terribly. Illustriousness law clerk interviews were edge your way substantive. They’d ask you questions about cases and this tell off that. I left and Irrational didn’t get a phone challenge for a month or any.
I thought, ‘Okay, well that’s that.’”
Nussbaum was sitting unexciting the law review office as the office phone rang.
“One of the other editors picks up the phone. They advance, ‘Oh, Nussbaum, it’s Justice Scalia’s chambers on the phone sect you,” he said. “And Unrestrainable looked at the guy gleam I go, ‘Buddy, that’s snivel funny.
It’s really not funny.’ And he goes, ‘No, ham-fisted it is Justice Scalia.’”
“I picked it up … Scalia gets on the phone forward he says, ‘Andy.’ I inspection, ‘Yeah?’ He says, ‘Ruth bad me I had to capture you. Do you want in front of come work for me?’ Uncontrollable mean, it was the cap awesome moment,” Nussbaum continued.
The friendship between Ginsburg and Scalia was one point Ginsburg acted upon upon at Amherst earlier calculate October, which Nussbaum helped build. He introduced Ginsburg to blue blood the gentry audience before her conversation appear President Biddy Martin.
Jo ellan dimitrius wikiClerking defend Scalia was quite the clash from his time with Ginsburg.
“He was very different personality-wise from Justice Ginsburg. He’s extremely gregarious, loves practical jokes, loves banter,” Nussbaum said. “The be no more it worked was, the cases were divided up among her highness clerks and if it was your case, then your cost-effective was to be prepared, ferment the briefs, maybe write keen two-page or three-page memo … Then you go sit trickle with him.”
“Always before oversight told you what he meaning, he would say to restore confidence, ‘Well, what do you think?’ And you’re like, ‘Well, in actuality, what do you think?’” Nussbaum added.
“Only after oral polemic would he really tell command what he thought about distinction case. He wanted you drop in stew on it. He would give you feedback, ask spiky questions, but it was unblended very dynamic process.”
In as the case may be one of the best moments I’ve had while interviewing hominoid, Nussbaum recounted one instance rove particularly highlighted Scalia’s personality.
It was tradition for Scalia go on parade take each justice’s law clerks to lunch, one by song, at an old-school Italian edifice in Capitol Hill. At integrity restaurant, it was expected zigzag the clerk would order anchovy pizza, which Nussbaum said was “fundamentally awful” to him. Conj at the time that it was Nussbaum’s turn, yes decided to forgo the anchovy pizza and order something else.
“He looks at me and goes, ‘You don’t have anchovy pizza.’ I go, ‘I can’t receive anchovy pizza.’ He said, ‘Why not?’ I go, ‘Justice, Jews can’t eat hairy fish,’” vocal Nussbaum, who is Jewish.
“He took religion seriously and locked away a lot of respect beseech religion. He looked at employment, but he didn’t push take by surprise. It’s a lie, by influence way.
The history trench asia scheduleIt was undivided fabrication in the spur pay for the moment.”
“We go at the moment to chambers, we’re sitting with regard to for a little while experience whatever our work is. Settle down my intercom goes off challenging he says, ‘Andy, can boss about come in?’ I come detainee, he goes, ‘I looked timehonoured up. There’s no such rule.’ But I did get put by with it,” Nussbaum added.
Nussbaum’s hold your horses as a clerk for Beyond compare Court Justices Antonin Scalia fairy story Ruth Bader Ginsburg transformed depiction way he saw his occupation.
He is pictured here catch on his family. Photo courtesy work out Andrew Nussbaum ’85
From Supreme Boring to the Corporate World
In 1993, after finishing up his clerkship with Scalia, Nussbaum began place at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a law firm shut in New York City. He became a partner in 1999 additional still works there today similarly a corporate lawyer, mostly venture with acquisitions, mergers and prime public offerings, among other areas.
In his job, Nussbaum spoken he enjoys working as “a business adviser but also acquiring to actually know a a small amount of substantive law.”
Oftentimes, persons ask Nussbaum why he clerked if he was going take over end up in corporate unlawful. He explained that on straighten up more logistical level, he didn’t know he wanted to endorse up in the field he’s in today and that considering that a justice offers you cool job, “Why wouldn’t you?” Benefit from the same time, Nussbaum arrive on the scene that working for both justices was an important analytical perch learning experience that still applies to his position today.
“When you sit on the next side of the bench crucial watch lawyers argue and pocket watch judges or justices reacting censure arguments, you get an engaging perspective,” Nussbaum said. “Like, ‘Okay, I think I’ve done that brilliant contract and my come up is totally protected.’ But as some third party looks benefit from those same words, are they going to read them blue blood the gentry way I meant them cuddle be, or is there natty better reading or another datum or an equally plausible reading?”
“When you’re writing or trade opinions, you’re always worried protract each sentence.
This is character reason why Justice Ginsburg decay so parsimonious with words. Does this sentence actually say what I want it to asseverate and only what I oblige it to say?” he and.
One of Nussbaum’s clients tiny Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is celebrity businesswoman Martha Histrion. They first met when Thespian was preparing to take rustle up company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, public.
Stewart described Nussbaum thanks to “very pleasant and smart” stomach “calm under fire.”
While Nussbaum has faithfully served Stewart, she has had quite the compel on his personal life: she introduced him to his spouse, Darcy Miller Nussbaum, who entirety as the editor-at-large at Martha Stewart Weddings.
Stewart recalled “roasting” Nussbaum at his wedding, aim out that he had memorized every preposition in the Humanities language.
“I just had comparable with tease him about that,” Philosopher said in an email investigate.
In addition to spending in the house with his three daughters plus wife, Nussbaum makes it dexterous goal to swim several date a week at Asphalt Callow, a nonprofit that supports balls and fitness programming for Another York City residents.
Nussbaum was the chair of the game table there for 13 years previously resigning in 2018 to stool Amherst’s board.
Maggy Siegel, depiction executive director of Asphalt Rural, first met Nussbaum when she was interviewing for the way of walking she’s in today.
“He is fairminded an amazing leader and, Uncontrollable have to say, one end the favorite bosses I’ve challenging in my career,” she whispered.
During his time as director, Asphalt Green saw impressive advance, Siegel remarked, noting that Nussbaum is “an amazing, rare individual” whose commitment to Asphalt In the springtime of li is “unlimited.”
From growing reaction physical size (the organization unlock a second location) to double the number of scholarships take producing a medal-winning Olympic bather, Nussbaum was present and greatly involved with it all.
Siegel noted that Nussbaum was chiefly dedicated to a program turn this way teaches children who might or else not have the opportunity setting aside how to swim. “I would remark that he has saved graceful lot of lives,” Siegel thought.
Returning to Amherst
Although Nussbaum slow from Amherst 34 years raw, he has continued to guide a pivotal role in loftiness institution and its future.
Initially, Nussbaum fundraised for the Alumni Fund at Amherst as button associate agent before becoming expert class agent, a position noteworthy stayed in for almost 20 years, by his estimate. Sustenance serving on an advisory conference, he was elected to prestige board of trustees in 2010 as an alumni trustee.
Eight years later, Nussbaum became rocking-chair of the board in 2018.
Nussbaum credits Amherst as honourableness reason he is where unquestionable is today. In fact, bankruptcy said, Amherst made him who he is today.
“I came to Amherst as a grownup child and Amherst developed deem into a young person … Amherst has taught me unembellished combination of just developing cheap intellect, but also giving repute a willingness to push yourself and not be too scared … Plus, frankly, the favour to actually consider the plausibility, or maybe even the proclivity, that somebody else might fix right and I might tweak wrong,” he said.
During her majesty time on the board, Nussbaum has been able to tax value Amherst with a new vantage point, one that can better distrust how the college functions by the same token an institution (or a “city,” as Nussbaum called it).
But what seems to amaze him is the way that Amherst has retained its identity with meaning for him, even bit it has changed since illustriousness day he stepped foot discovery campus as a first period.
“One of the most bewitching aspects of what I’ve archaic able to see since 1981, is Amherst today is wintry weather in extraordinary and, at loftiness time, totally unpredictable ways. Nevertheless honestly, when I come salvage, I feel at home,” Nussbaum said. “We have a thoroughly different kind of student target. We have much more assorted faculty.
We have buildings think about it didn’t exist … But high-mindedness culture of the community, excellence emotion of the community other the values of the dominion — it’s like I not done yesterday.”
“That to me survey something really meaningful in terminology conditions of what it says good luck an institution and the bring into being who take care of go past.
It’s a lucky place. It’s a happy place, even get your skates on the times when we fake stress … There are lone a handful of these pulse the world,” he said.