Fordham Law School announced today that Jordana Alter Confino has been appointed the new director of professionalism and special projects in the office of academic affairs.
Confino will be responsible for the development and implementation of programs aimed at developing students’ professional capabilities, honing their non-academic skills, and improving their quality of life, balance, and professional satisfaction. She will be leading the rollout of Fordham Law’s new “House System,” which aims to enhance the student experience by creating smaller communities of student support within the law school. Along with Associate Dean Linda Sugin, Confino will oversee the school’s peer mentorship initiative and co-teach a course for student mentors. She is an expert on wellness, and will also serve as advisor for the Fordham Mental Health Society.
“At Fordham Law School we understand that training great lawyers extends beyond the classroom and includes teaching our students how to maintain a balance between hard work and quality of life,” said Matthew Diller, Dean of Fordham Law School. “Jordana shares this vision, and we are thrilled to have her here.”
Before joining Fordham, Jordana served as the assistant director of academic counseling and clerkship advisor at Columbia Law School and an instructor in the Federal Appellate Court Externship program. She was also previously a judicial law clerk for the Hon. Robert D. Sack on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, as well as for the Hon. Paul A. Engelmayer on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
“I am excited to join such a distinguished faculty and look forward to working with my esteemed colleagues to train and prepare the next generation of outstanding Fordham lawyers,” said Confino. “It is a true privilege to be a part of an institution that cares so deeply about community and the well-being of its students.”
Confino holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Law & Policy Review, a B.A. in Psychology from Yale University, and a certification in Applied Positive Psychology from the New York Open Center. She was recently appointed vice chair of the law firm/law school collaboration work group of the National Association for Law Placement’s well-being interest group, and her article Where are We on the Path to Law Student Well-Being? is forthcoming in the Journal of Legal Education.