On July 10, 2019, Eric Grossman ’93 hosted the fifth annual Morgan Stanley/Fordham Law School Summer Associate Luncheon. This luncheon is part of Fordham Law’s Career Planning Center’s initiative “Hire FLS: Make the Business Case” and Grossman, Morgan Stanley’s chief legal officer, was an early champion of the initiative, which partners with FLS alumni who work as in-house counsel, since its 2015 launch.
During his remarks, he stressed the importance of continuing to develop yourself professionally – setting forth a top ten list of important attributes to keep in mind as you engage in the workplace. In addition, he discussed the extremely supportive relationship between Fordham University and Morgan Stanley, saying, “We are fortunate to have so many alumni in key roles at the firm, and we look forward to having even more in the future.” The luncheon creates an opportunity for Fordham Law summer associates to engage and develop relationships with the next generation of outside counsel.
Co-host Hon. Loretta A. Preska ’73, judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, also praised Fordham’s rich alumni network.
“Each year, I enjoy meeting the Fordham summers and demonstrating to them what an accomplished group our Fordham alumni are and how we enjoy each other, reach out to each other, and take care of each other,” said Judge Preska. “We hope the Fordham summers will follow us in paying forward.”
Bradley Butwin ’85, who attends each year, is ever mindful that his own success is a testament to that loyalty—not only did a Fordham alumnus hire him for his first job, but he was able to pay it forward by hiring Grossman for his first job after law school. “What I am most proud of, though, is the fact that all of those people became lifelong friends,” Butwin added. “That’s the kind of powerful alumni network this wonderful school offers.”
During this year’s luncheon, Suzanne M. Endrizzi ’96, assistant dean, spoke to the group about the Law School’s Center for Judicial Engagement and Clerkships, which will launch in the fall of 2019. Grossman, Dean Matthew Diller, and Preska all underscored the incredible value of clerkships and the support structure the center will provide students and alumni.