Great Graduate: Nicholas Giaquinto

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Giaquinto

Nicholas Giaquinto built his legal career on the same foundation as his dance career: practice, performance and presence.

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West Caldwell native Nicholas Giaquinto has woven himself into the fabric of Seton Hall University through high school, college and now law school. He’s performed on stage, argued in moot court and devoted Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. to the dance floor—ever since he was a pint-sized pirate.

“It’s my fun fact when I introduce myself at Seton Hall,” said Giaquinto, who goes by Nicky. “I’ve been a pirate for 11 years.”

That loyalty traces back to family. His older brother, Alex, attended Seton Hall Preparatory School, and Giaquinto followed suit. His godmother, Elizabeth Giaquinto—a lawyer who earned her degree from Seton Hall Law—encouraged him to pursue a legal career. He enrolled in law school and never looked back.

This spring, Giaquinto is graduating. A position at Stark & Stark awaits, followed by the late July bar exam and a birthday trip to Japan the day after he turns 25 on Aug. 1. By almost any measure, it’s a happy ending—but it nearly wasn’t.

At the end of his 1L year, while working a summer job at a courthouse, his father, Edward, died of cancer. The grief hit hard, and he felt his world coming undone.

“I remember talking to Professor Adrian Newall and telling her I didn’t know if I could finish law school,” Giaquinto said. “It was really difficult for me to even consider stepping back into school.”

Newall’s response helped ground him. “She told me life doesn’t have a pause button,” he said. “We think we live in this vacuum where we can put our heads down, study for three years and everything else will just stop. But that’s not the real world.”

Her advice went beyond grit. She warned that committing solely to work would burn him out and cause him to miss the life unfolding around him. His mother, Clara Giaquinto, a self-described tough-love parent, reached a similar conclusion. “We’re paying for this, and you’re going to finish,” she told him.

Not only did he stay, he finished strong. Months later, Giaquinto was selected to deliver the commencement address, a speech centered on the very lesson that nearly derailed him. “My dad is obviously the overarching theme of that story,” he said. “It’s a great way to honor him and how I got here.”

Grief didn’t strike just once. In the months before graduation, he also lost his uncle. Yet a tight support system endured—and at its heart was someone he’s known since preschool. Sophia D’Agostino has been Giaquinto’s best friend since they were neighbors, attending the same elementary and middle schools. Their shared journey through law school has deepened their bond. “She is my best friend in the entire world,” he said. He values her unique understanding of both who he is and the demands of law school. “Having someone to talk to who truly understands is so important,” he said.

When Giaquinto arrived at the Catholic-affiliated law school, he anticipated complications as an openly gay man. He noted that LGBTQ+ people often navigate subtle frictions others may miss, yet none surfaced here. “Everyone I’ve met at Seton Hall Law has been so wonderful and kind,” he said. “I haven’t had any negative experiences.” He also expressed gratitude for his partner, Cedrick Caballar, a night-shift registered nurse, who has been a steady source of support as he navigated law school.

Giaquinto views the university’s culture as reflecting the Catholic Church’s evolving dialogue on inclusion, championed publicly by Popes Francis and Leo. “Seton Hall Law is a good embodiment of inclusivity,” he said.

Law school also reinforced something in him that dance had already built. During his 1L year, Giaquinto entered the Riccio moot court competition expecting little. He made the quarterfinals and joined the team. The experience crystallized a connection: oral argument and performance are the same discipline on different stages. “It takes a lot of practice and repetition,” he said, “but at the end of the day, you’re just presenting yourself in front of people to give the best performance you can.”

On weekends, he performs with Hush Dance Crew he co-founded with friends. His sister-in-law recently suggested he could go viral giving legal advice online while dancing; he hasn’t ruled it out.

To incoming students, Giaquinto shares a hard-won lesson: “Allow yourself the space and grace to take breaks and give yourself time to be with the people you love,” he said. “My one regret going into law school is that I felt like it was the end of the world if I didn’t do everything perfectly.”

His father’s death reset those priorities. The grind counts, but so do birthday dinners, Saturday afternoons and friends you’ve neglected for too long. “When the real world starts, that free time disappears,” he said. “My best advice would be to continue living life. Don’t stop your life just because you’re in law school.”

Giaquinto will join Stark & Stark in late August, focused on business litigation but open to wherever the work may lead. Saturday afternoons, regardless of caseload, are already claimed.

“If I’m doing your legal work in the future,” Giaquinto said, “I will probably be dancing from one to three on a Saturday. I’ll call you afterward.”