Pursuing judicial clerkships is a well-worn path for Fordham Law students. Fordham Law alumni coming back to engage and assist current students is a hallmark of the Law School.
On February 18 more than 50 Fordham Law students mingled with 18 alumni who are or were judicial clerks at the Lunch with a Lawyer: Judicial Clerk Roundtable. This interactive and informal roundtable provided a wonderful opportunity for students to gain insight into the role of a clerk and what to do now to build the skills coveted by judges in the hiring process.
The event also demonstrated the unique Fordham Network Effect: alumni enthusiastically returning to campus to engage and assist current students. Judicial clerkships are only one example of this powerful notion. At the lunch there were more than a few current and former clerks of the same judge, those who had helped to bring on the next generation of Fordham clerks for their judges.
The event, hosted by the Career Planning Center (CPC) with the Faculty Clerkship Committee, is one in a series of roundtable lunches. Still to come this semester are roundtable lunches with government, public interest, and small to midsize firm alumni.
“The culture of community that Fordham Law fosters among its students shapes the spirit of the Fordham Law network, where alumni are eager to come back and help out the next generation of Fordham lawyers,” said Suzanne Endrizzi, assistant dean for career planning. “We see that impact in the tradition of Fordham Law judicial clerks passing the mantle from one term to the next. Today’s lunch was an opportunity to engage our 1L students with our alumni clerking to begin that connection anew. “
The event provided valuable knowledge on how a clerkship fits into career timelines and objectives, Katherine Wright ’19 said. Receiving this information from current and former clerks made the idea of a clerkship “come alive” rather than existing as a mere word thrown around, she added.
“The amount of time and effort the CPC puts into this program exceeds my expectations for what a law school would look like,” Wright said.
Kyle Friedland ’18 praised The Network Effect for helping students establish knowledgeable connections early so they could start their application process with a sense of what works and what doesn’t. Meeting Fordham Law graduates who have successfully clerked provided Friedland “a confidence boost” that he could do the same, he said.
“Fordham Law has a remarkably committed alumni network that shines through in these types of events,” said Dean Matthew Diller. “Many graduates know that their careers were launched through the help of alumni who came before, and they are dedicated to helping those who will follow them at the Law School.”
Alumnus Rich Gage ’13 credited the Fordham Law network for providing him the tools he needed to clerk for Southern District Judge John F. Keenan ’54 from August 2013 to August 2015.
“They gave me all the resources I needed, let me know about clerk openings, and prepared me for interviews,” Gage said. “Quite literally, I would not have had the opportunity to clerk without this program.”
Clerking provided an excellent window into how a judge thinks, and his interactions with Judge Keenan increased his confidence discussing the law, Gage added.
Gage’s classmate George Adams ’13 told students a clerkship offered the best critical thinking education they could receive. He encouraged them to utilize the Fordham network, including events like the lunch, to obtain a clerkship.
“Your education doesn’t stop after three years of law school,” said Adams, who clerked for Judge Keenan from August 2014 to December 2015. “As a young lawyer you should look for every opportunity available to you.”