Draft:Taylor Leighton

Taylor Scott Leighton (born September 10, 1996) is a financial restructuring/bankruptcy attorney in New York City. He is also known for his published writing and acting performances.

Career & Education
Leighton was valedictorian of the Class of 2015 of Eastview High School in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Following high school, Leighton graduated from the University of Chicago in 2019 with a B.A. in Public Policy Studies (with honors) and Psychology. After undergrad, Leighton attended New York University School of Law where he was a member of the N.Y.U. Journal of Legislation & Public Policy, a co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and the winner of the Ann Petluck Poses Memorial Prize for excellent work in a clinical course. During law school, Leighton worked at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in the summer of 2020 as a 1L Pro Bono Scholar and in the summer of 2021 as a 2L Summer Associate. Following his graduation from NYU Law in 2022, Leighton started his career at Akin as a financial restructuring associate in the New York office. At Akin, Leighton worked on various pro bono matters and furthered the firm's pro bono initiatives as a member of the Pro Bono Committee.

Prior to beginning his legal career, Leighton interned at PolitiFact in 2016, where he published various political articles and fact checks,    the Legal Office of the Cook County Public Defender in 2017, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2018. Leighton also has extensive experience coordinating and managing international Model United Nations conferences in Dubai, Shanghai, and Beijing.

Personal
Leighton was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1996. He lived in Austin, Minnesota, for the first five years of his life as his father Rob Leighton served as a representative in the Minnesota State Legislature for four terms. Following his father's political career, Leighton moved with his family to the Minneapolis area to begin school.

During his childhood, Leighton was an actor and performed in various plays, musicals and improv/sketch comedy performances. In 2010, Leighton was cast as the lead role of Ralphie Parker in the Children's Theatre Company's adaptation of A Christmas Story. Leighton received positive reviews from critics relating to his leading role.