As Fordham Law School students returned to Lincoln Center for the first day of in-person classes on Aug. 25, 455 first-year J.D. students began their law school journey.
More than 7,900 applicants from throughout the U.S. and around the globe competed for the 455 slots in the J.D. program. Women make up 55 percent of the new class, and 32 percent of incoming students self-identify as a minority—including 33 Black students, 42 Latinx students, 55 Asian students, and 14 students who identify as multiracial. The class also includes 16 international students from 8 countries. More than 160 colleges and universities are represented in Fordham Law’s entering class.
“I’m overwhelmed by the intelligence, dedication, and public-spiritedness of this incoming class,” Dean Matthew Diller said. “I am looking forward to getting to know each of them, but am especially looking forward to all of the students getting to know each other as well during their journeys here.”
Ghassan Abou-Alfa ’25
Ghassan Abou-Alfa (Evening, Spring ’25)
Hometown: Sidon, Lebanon
Education: M.B.A., Columbia University ’16; M.D., American University of Beirut ’92; B.S. in Biology, American University of Beirut ’88
Abou-Alfa is currently a medical oncologist attending Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), where he specializes in the care of liver cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder, and fibrolamellar carcinoma. He moved to the United States in the 1990s and completed his postgraduate medical training in internal medicine, medical oncology (cancer), and hematology (blood diseases) at Yale University. Abou-Alfa is also a professor at Weill Cornell College at Cornell University and a trustee of the American University of Beirut.
Abou-Alfa helped bring four cancer drugs to FDA approval over the past 20 years while working at MSK. He continues to develop novel therapeutic approaches for his subspeciality in gastrointestinal and liver cancers. Abou-Alfa has also had opportunities to aid with the development of several global programs in cancer—including work in a global tele-education program that he has been running for more than 16 years—and has helped establish the first joint tissue bank with MSK in the Middle East at the American University of Beirut.
Abou-Alfa says that he chose Fordham Law not only because of its reputation, but also because education here would allow him to continue working his clinical and research work in medicine. “At this stage in life, I do not intend to change careers,” says Abou-Alfa, explaining that he will continue at MSK full time. “However, it took me no time to realize how critical it is to gather and learn about the legal thinking process and international law as part of the endeavors of medical diplomacy we are leading at MSK.”
Abou-Alfa’s current effort include developing a framework for collaborative research which will lead to improved screening and care for patients with family-inherited cancers.
While at Fordham Law, Abou-Alfa intends to pursue international, comparative, and foreign law that will coincide with his ongoing efforts to help develop MSKCC’s institutional global effort for better cancer care for humanity everywhere. “I look forward to grasping every opportunity to learn and gather knowledge of all different aspects of law,” he says.
Angela Chow ’24
Angela Chow (Day) (Spring ’24)
Hometown: Skillman, New Jersey
Education: B.A. in Political Science and Journalism, Northeastern University ’19
Before Chow worked as a paralegal for Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz after college, she was showcasing her talents on the ice as a competitive figure skater.
Chow laced up her first pair of skates at the age of five and skated for the Princeton Skating Club in her home state, competing in numerous programs and competitions until college. She even represented Taiwan at the 2010 Asian Figure Skating Trophy competition where she was within reach of medal contention.
Having had opportunities to perform in front of an international audience, Chow said she is now looking forward to being part of Fordham Law’s global alumni community. “I chose Fordham Law because I was drawn to its alumni network,” she explains. “It’s just so extensive and people have done so many great things both at and after Fordham.”
“I definitely want to be part of that network and to contribute to that community,” Chow adds.
Chow recalled that the idea of working in the legal field was in the back of her mind growing up as she also contemplated a career in journalism. “Figure skating really did contribute to my passion for what I wanted to do with my career,” Chow says, explaining that she was ultimately interested in helping to provide people with access to justice and equality. “With the same devotion I have for figure skating, I am now ready to embark on my law school journey at Fordham. To me, Fordham is the place where my goals can be best accomplished.”
Andrew King ’24
Andrew King (Day) (Spring ’24)
Hometown: Queens, New York
Education: B.S. in Law and Legal Studies, The United States Military Academy ’17
King is currently an Active-Duty Captain in the United States (U.S.) Army. He was selected for the U.S. Army’s highly competitive Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP) in December 2020. FLEP selectees receive tuition funding for law school and, upon graduation, are tendered assignment in the Army’s Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.
Prior to his selection for FLEP and attending Fordham Law, King served four years as a Ranger qualified infantry officer. He held positions as a light infantry mortar platoon leader, rifle platoon leader, and served as a commander’s executive assistant during a training deployment to Thailand. As a platoon leader, he was charged with the training, health, morale, welfare, and discipline of over 30 soldiers.
King first became interested in law at an early age through his father’s nearly 25-year-long career with the New York City Police Department. “By being exposed to that kind of work through him, I wanted to learn more about the law,” King says. “But, the law also fascinates me in general because it’s ever-changing.”
“I believe legal professionals are at the forefront of our society,” he adds, “in how we guide and act on a day-to-day basis among other professions.”
King said he is most excited to be among other Fordham Law students who aspire to excel in both their studies and careers as they navigate law school together. “Just like in the Army, I think I’ll be more successful being around other students who are like-minded and have the same goals,” he adds. “Whether we’re in study groups or at social events, I know our successes will help all of us become greater legal professionals in the petri dishes of the law. I believe that my experiences and skills acquired here at Fordham Law will add value to the Army’s JAG Corps.”
Katherine Martinez-Fuentes ’25
Katherine Martinez-Fuentes (Evening, Spring ’25)
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Educational Background: B.S./B.A. in Accounting and Spanish, Loyola Marymount University ’18
Martinez-Fuentes is currently an Assistant Vice President at Morgan Stanley working on the client coverage team for the International Wealth Management division. As an evening student at Fordham Law, she will be able to keep her job while studying law. “I chose Fordham for its incredible evening program,” Martinez-Fuentes says. “I knew Fordham was very well known for it and that it would allow me to continue my career growth and use the skills I’m learning in class at my job.”
With a background in accounting, Martinez-Fuentes found her way to law through her undergraduate coursework. “At first, I thought I wanted to be a CPA, and realized that probably wasn’t it for me,” she explains. “However, I was really interested in a lot of business law courses that I took during my undergrad.”
Martinez-Fuentes says she plans to specialize in corporate law with the hope of staying on at Morgan Stanley where the current Chief Legal Officer is also a Fordham alumnus. She is interested in taking classes on international banking and commercial law and says she is excited to meet like-minded students working towards similar goals.
“I have friends who are current students from Fordham and they’ve said that it’s a very welcoming and kind student body and staff,” Martinez-Fuentes says. “That was very important for me for my law school experience.”
Martinez-Fuentes says she was very active in her school’s Latino Student Organizations during her undergrad and is looking forward to joining LALSA at Fordham to help promote Latino culture and network with other Latino attorneys.
Afrika Owes ’24
Afrika Owes (Day) (Spring ’24)
Hometown: Harlem, New York
Education: B.A. in Sociology and Africana Studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges ’16
Owes says her inspiration to pursue law comes from her mother who, though she was not a lawyer, used her knowledge and research skills to advocate for her community. “I loved how she always had the answers, but, more importantly, was willing to do the research and wanted to help people. That’s what being a lawyer means to me.”
In her undergraduate and postgraduate life, Owes participated in advocacy work of her own. She spent time in South Africa as a Fulbright Scholar and, more recently, worked at the Center for Constitutional Rights as a legal assistant and program coordinator. She is also a community leader in Harlem where she serves on Harlem’s Community Board 10 as an appointed member.
Owes says she doesn’t want to settle on a specialty just yet, but knows that it will incorporate her community work. “My North Star and my guiding principle is always going to be serving the Black community and uplifting people of color,” Owes explained. “So whether that’s through IP law, criminal justice reform, housing, or access to legal services, I know that my mission and my purpose is going to be to help the most marginalized people in society.”
Owes chose Fordham Law because, as a single mother, community was important to her and she wanted to attend a school that supported her professional goals and welcomed her son. “It takes a village to raise a child, and I wanted Fordham to be part of my village-not only in my life but my son’s life also.”
Owes participated in the Fordham REAL Program, which offers guidance and support to first-year students from historically underrepresented backgrounds—a program that she says made her feel supported as a new student and single mother. “They want us to do well [and]they invested a lot of time and programming into making sure that the participants are equipped with tools for success when they come into law school,” she says. “In addition to me going to school, this is going to be the world that my son is in for the next three years. This is going to shape him, too. I am excited for the both of us to join the Fordham community”
Shivani Parikh ’24
Shivani Parikh (Day) (Spring ’24)
Hometown: New City, New York
Education: B.S. in Development Sociology, Cornell University ’19
Parikh knew she was interested in law since she was in the eighth grade. In high school, she even interned for the Legal Aid Society of Rockland County, where she is from. Since then, Parikh also developed an interest in issues affecting South Asian communities, becoming the president of the South Asian Council at Cornell University and later working as the outreach coordinator for Asian communities at Rockland County’s domestic violence center. She served for two years as the Vice President of University Chapters of MannMukti, a mental health nonprofit for South Asians, and continues to volunteer as the News & Politics Editor of Hyphen Magazine.
Parikh wants to use her knowledge of the law to serve undocumented families, asylum seekers, and refugees—with a special interest in community lawyering and supporting South Asian civil rights.
Parikh says she chose Fordham Law, at least in part, for its location in the heart of New York City. “I don’t think enough can be said about how critical it is to be in New York City, especially given my career interests and the communities that I want to serve,” she says.
Another draw, Parikh explains, was the support that Fordham Law offers to those with an interest in public interest law. As a Stein Scholar, Parikh will benefit from the guidance and support of past graduates working in pro-bono, non-profit, and government law through the program’s alumni network.
