 He attended the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and then the Fordham University School of Law.After law school, he worked as press secretary and deputy executive director of the New York State Democratic Committee, where he worked on the 1998 campaigns of Chuck Schumer and Eliot Spitzer and Hillary Clinton's Listening Tour in July 1999.In December 1999, Hiltzik joined Miramax as head of corporate communications, where he was involved in public relations for Miramax Films, Miramax Books, Miramax TV, "Talk" magazine, philanthropic and political fundraising and crisis management.