Fordham Law alumnus John F. Keenan ’54 was featured in the June 2016 issue of The Federal Lawyer.
In 1951, Keenan graduated from Manhattan College, the first Keenan to earn a degree. Not wanting to stop there, he enrolled in Fordham Law School. The relationship with Fordham that began 64 years ago, when Keenan first walked through the law school’s doors at 302 Broadway, continues to this day. Judge John Keenan “is the epitome of all that a judge should be,” says Michael M. Martin, dean of Fordham Law
School. “His commitment to serving the public and his dedication to ethical principles are as unquestionable as his loyalty to Fordham Law School. He has made immense contributions to the Fordham community for over 50 years. We are very fortunate to call him a
graduate and friend.” These contributions have included serving as vice president of the school’s alumni association, being a member of search committees for new deans, teaching trial advocacy, and judging moot court competitions.As a student, it was a moot court competition that first provided Keenan the opportunity to demonstrate his courtroom skills. He led his Fordham team to the finals of the Sutherland Cup Moot Court Competition, where he argued before Justice Felix Frankfurter and District of Columbia Circuit Court judges George T. Washington and Barrett Prettyman. Although the Fordham team had to settle for second place (some have suggested the team from Catholic University may have benefitted from a hometown advantage), Keenan had found his passion and earned an award confirming his talent.