Bryant Caizachana Pilataxi '27: Finding Community, Opportunity, and Purpose at Albany Law School

For Bryant Caizachana Pilataxi ’27, the choice to attend Albany Law School was two-fold. He was looking for a school that offered an accelerated timeline as well as a supportive community and opportunities to discover where he wanted to take his legal career. He found both at Albany Law. 

“Overall, it’s been a great program. A lot of hard work, but it’s been rewarding and so I’ve had a great time,” Caizachana Pilataxi said.

He arrived at Albany Law with a strong interest in immigration law, shaped by early experiences observing how attorneys can profoundly influence people’s lives. But as he embraced new coursework and opportunities, he quickly  found that exposure to different areas of the law can sharpen your interests in unexpected ways and sometimes lead you toward a path you hadn’t initially considered.

“I’ve been having a lot of success with municipal land use law, property law… That’s been more where I’ve seen a little bit of success, where it’s been interesting,” Caizachana Pilataxi said. “So, it’s definitely something I want to pursue.”

During his 1L summer, he was an intern with the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s office, where he assisted with legal research and drafting prosecutorial filings.

His openness to trying new things also shaped his involvement on campus. Determined to make the most of the Albany Law experience, he consistently showed up to events and sought out ways to connect with others. 

“I made an effort to go to every single event I could and got involved with those organizations."

Today, he serves as the Student Outreach Coordinator for the Latin American Law Students Association, working to ensure others feel the same sense of belonging he found. 

“I want people to feel welcome… I just want to make sure everybody feels comfortable. Everybody gets involved,” Caizachana Pilataxi said.

He also served as a subeditor on the Albany Law Review.

This year, Caizachana Pilataxi earned a distinguished recognition: the 2026 Carol Van Scoyoc Award from the New York State Bar Association’s Local and State Government Law Section. 

“I’ve always been one to apply for everything, I’d rather someone else tell me no than tell myself no,” he said.

The Carol Van Scoyoc Scholarship is awarded annually by the Foundation through the New York State Bar Association’s Local and State Government Law Section in honor of Carol Van Scoyoc, Esq., a former Section chair recognized for her outstanding contributions to the legal profession and public service. The scholarship is awarded to a law student enrolled at a New York law school who best exemplifies Ms. Van Scoyoc’s core values: academic excellence, a demonstrated commitment to public service, and a strong interest in local government law.

Faculty support also played a defining role in Caizachana Pilataxi’s journey. “I had professors that really backed me and really wanted to help me see me succeed,” he said. 

Among them, Professors Patricia Reyhan and Keith Hirokawa were especially influential. He has contributed to legal scholarship by writing case briefs as a student writer for NYSBA’s The New York Environmental Lawyer, the most recent of which was published in the summer 2025 edition, Vol. 45 No. 2. Hirokawa serves as an editor for the statewide publication. 

“I think I owe some success to Professor Hirokawa because he kind of opened that door for me."

His advice to future students reflects the approach that has guided him: “Don’t be afraid to reach a little bit out of your comfort zone. There’s a lot of people that are rooting for you, I definitely benefited from just reaching out of my comfort zone.”

Since the interview, Caizachana Pilataxi has continued to deepen his involvement and leadership on campus. He was recently elected the incoming President of the Latin American Law Students Association for the 2026–27 academic year, as well as a 3L senator for the Student Bar Association. He also made the decision to extend his studies by one additional semester, now planning to graduate in May 2027 while still remaining on an accelerated track. With that adjustment, he will focus fully on his summer associate position at Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP this summer rather than balancing coursework simultaneously—another step toward clarifying his path and building the legal career he has worked diligently to shape.