January 31, 2022 at 11:22 am

Alumni News | Matthew Seymour still a top recruit – in international trade law

Matthew Seymour in New York

One of Canada’s top high school football players, Ohio University alumnus Matthew Seymour came to Athens in 2016 from Vancouver to study pre-law and play college football.

Three years later he was headed to New York City for law school, and he’s still a top recruit—having interned at the Court of International Trade and with a job waiting for him at a Manhattan law firm.

Seymour earned a B.A. in History Pre-Law from the College of Arts & Sciences in 2019 and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He also earned a Minor in Sports Management from the College of Business. He’s set to graduate from St. John’s University School of Law this spring.

“After graduating from Ohio University, I accepted a scholarship offer to attend law school at St. John’s in Queens, New York. During my time at St. John’s, I have had the opportunity to learn a ton academically, and I have been fortunate to be able to work at some unique positions during my time as a student,” said Seymour, noting that his second year of law school was completely remote. “I am currently entering my final semester of law school and have been fortunate enough to have already accepted a post-grad position.

“This fall, after graduating in May, I will be starting at Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP as an associate working in their customs group. GDLSK is a Manhattan-based boutique firm that specializes in international trade. A big reason that I was able to get into this area of law was through my time working as a judicial intern at the U.S. Court of International Trade during my entire second year of law school, and my time at the court was one of my favorite professional experiences to date.”

Matthew Seymour

At St. John’s, Seymour also served as Articles & Notes Editor for the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, Senior Staff Member for the Commercial Division Online Law Report, and FINRA Dispute Resolution Triathlon Coordinator for the Dispute Resolution Society.

Q&A with Matthew Seymour

Q: Who were your favorite professors and how did they make an impact on your life?

A: Professor Paul Milazzo certainly has made a significant impact on my life. During my time at OHIO, he was by far my favorite professor, and I did everything possible to take all the classes that he offered. He also served as my academic advisor and played an important role in helping me decide on the courses I would take at OHIO.

Additionally—a testament to how much he cared about his student’s success even after graduation—was his willingness to assist me in my job search in law school. Professor Milazzo was able to introduce me to someone within his own professional network that opened the door for me to intern at the Court of International Trade.

I still try and keep in touch with Professor Milazzo and keep him updated on how things are going for me both academically and professionally.

Q: What was your ah-ha moment at OHIO—that point where you said to yourself, “I’ve got this!”?

A: My first ever quiz at OHIO was for a U.S. History class, and it was on U.S. presidents, an easy quiz for most students, but as a Canadian this quiz was a unique challenge. I ended up failing my first graded assignment in college and thought it would be a long road ahead. However, when I took my first exam in that class, I got an A and knew that I was going to be just fine.

Q: What was the hardest hill you had to climb at OHIO? And how did you overcome challenges or obstacles in your path?

A: The hardest hill that I had to climb while I was at Ohio was balancing my football career and its challenges, with my coursework. I only played football at OU for my first 2.5 years before I was medically retired due to injuries. Going through that process while keeping my GPA as high as possible for law school was certainly difficult. I was able to work through this with a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, and having a strong support team behind me.