Susan Scafidi, director of Fashion Law Institute, was interviewed by LLM Guide about Fordham’s fashion law LL.M. program.
The Fashion Law LL.M. grew out of our efforts to make our curriculum available to lawyers around the world who didn’t go to Fordham for a J.D. Our initial response to the flood of requests was Fashion Law Bootcamp, our summer intensive courses in which attendees can either take the entirety of my Fashion Law course, or engage in in-depth study of a single issue, like fashion and technology. The Bootcamp is still going strong, and it’s a good way for those thinking about an LL.M. to start building their credentials in the field
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Where have the graduates gone on to work, and where is the most demand for this line of work in particular?
Our graduates have been brought on board in a range of places. Fashion brands, law firms, fashion-related non-profits, even companies that are not primarily fashion brands but are expanding into the fashion space. Serving as in-house counsel or establishing a fashion law practice are perhaps that most familiar options, but there are other tracks our alumni are taking as well, such as working for a company that provides brand protection or using legal expertise in a broader management position.
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Fashion law isn’t about shopping and celebrities, and you definitely should not pattern yourself after Elle Woods from Legally Blonde or be the billionth person to announce that you have “a passion for fashion.” Designers and brands are looking, first and foremost, for attorneys who understand their business and the law.
