Growing up, Sylvia Goldschmidt wanted to save the world. She initially thought the best way to achieve her goal was through psychology and sociology, so she obtained a joint undergraduate degree from the University at Buffalo. After a year serving VISTA, now known as AmeriCorps, however, Ms. Goldschmidt decided that she could make the most difference as a lawyer. She proceeded to earn a JD from Brooklyn Law School in 1981 and an LLM in taxation from New York University School of Law in 1982, and to become admitted to practice in the state of New York in1983. Degrees in hand, she set out on her new path, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Now, Ms. Goldschmidt is thriving as a founding partner of Goldschmidt & Genovese, LLP. She opened the firm in 2002, and has worked hard to build an amazing reputation and a great rapport with clients and peers alike. Her main focus is on helping people navigate sensitive and emotional matters in matrimonial and family law, including custody and property division. Ms. Goldschmidt also recently headed a global expansion, which has allowed her to work with clients who are divorcing and who live in different countries. This move has given her a whole new perspective on the job, since different countries practice different laws.
Ms. Goldschmidt loves her career so much that she’s even active in the industry outside of her practice. She has been the co-chair of the Institute of Associates for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 2008, and has served as the assistant treasurer of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation and as a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. In the past, she has held roles like president of the United States Chapter of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, executive committee member of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, co-chair of the matrimonial committee of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association, and co-chair of the matrimonial committee of the Manhattan Chapter and the Westchester Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. Ms. Goldschmidt is particularly proud of her involvement with these organizations because they have allowed her to network with and learn from some of the best lawyers in the country.