Only at Milken: The Power of Alumni Connections

Milken alumni continue to open doors for one another long after graduation, creating meaningful professional connections rooted in shared experiences and community values. This summer, that network comes full circle at Greenberg Traurig, an international, multi-practice law firm, where Scott Szkolnik ’07 will mentor and work alongside Sabrina Cohensedgh ’20 and Lily Kraft ’19 as they begin their summer associate experiences at the firm. Next summer, Lauren Shayefar ’20 will join Greenberg Traurig for her own summer associate experience, continuing the growing Milken presence at the firm.

Scott, a Shareholder in the firm’s real estate group, focuses on sophisticated commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, financings, joint ventures, and development matters. Reflecting on the Milken alumni he has encountered throughout his career, Scott shared, “The Milken alumni I’ve met have consistently been thoughtful, polished, and very personable. They tend to communicate confidently while still being humble and approachable, which is an important combination in a client-service business like law.”

For Sabrina Cohensedgh ’20, who is currently pursuing real estate law at the USC Gould School of Law, the connection to Scott made an immediate impact during the interview process. Sabrina’s interest in real estate began early, inspired by accompanying her father to his real estate projects growing up. After meeting attorneys from Greenberg Traurig at a challah bake hosted with USC Gould, she felt an instant connection to the firm’s strong Jewish presence.

“Knowing that Scott attended Milken made me feel more comfortable being myself and even more excited about the opportunity to work at GT alongside fellow Milken alumni,” Sabrina shared. “It immediately created a sense of familiarity.” This summer, Sabrina will work across several practice areas while gaining hands-on experience in legal research, drafting, and transactional work, particularly within real estate.

Lily Kraft ’19, currently attending UC Berkeley School of Law, will also join Greenberg Traurig this summer as she explores a future in music copyright and intellectual property litigation. Lily first discovered the firm through Berkeley’s career networking platform while researching firms with strong entertainment practices in Los Angeles.

After learning through Milken’s alumni network that Scott was also a graduate, Lily said she became even more excited to begin her summer experience. “I am looking forward to meeting Scott,” she shared. As a summer associate, Lily will work on assignments across the litigation department while participating in trainings and professional development opportunities alongside attorneys at the firm.

Lauren Shayefar ’20, an incoming 2L at UCLA School of Law, was drawn to the firm’s collaborative culture and strong Jewish community. Interested in real estate and corporate transactional law, Lauren described Scott’s role in the interview process as especially meaningful. “Scott instantly made me feel comfortable and made me feel like I could be myself,” Lauren said. “We bonded over our Milken experiences and our connections in the Jewish community. I could tell how excited Scott was for me throughout the process and that he genuinely cared about my success.” Lauren is looking forward to beginning her summer associate experience at Greenberg Traurig next summer, where she hopes to explore multiple practice areas, shadow attorneys, work on substantive legal matters, and learn directly from the firm’s attorneys and leadership team.

For Scott, mentorship is one of the most rewarding aspects of the profession. “One of the things I value most about our team is the combination of high-level work and a genuinely collaborative culture,” he explained. “Even on complex deals, there is a strong emphasis on mentorship, teamwork, and giving junior lawyers meaningful opportunities to contribute.”

The connection between Scott, Sabrina, Lauren, and Lily reflects the strength of Milken’s alumni community across industries and generations. Whether through internships, mentorship, or simply helping a fellow alum feel at home in a new environment, these relationships continue to shape careers and strengthen the broader Milken network.