A Message from Dean Matthew Diller
October 22, 2021
Dear Fordham Law Community,
As you know, in June of 2020 we made a commitment to take a hard look at our institution so that we could better understand where we are falling short in providing students, faculty, and staff of color with an equitable, inclusive, and truly welcoming experience. We took a number of swift and concrete actions detailed in our anti-racism action plan here.
Below are some of the latest developments and significant actions our community has taken to make real progress against our original promise:
Commissioned a Racial Climate Study
In the spring we invited all students, faculty, staff, and alumni to participate in a community-wide survey to assess the culture and racial climate at Fordham Law School. The research, conducted by Dr. Roger L. Worthington, professor and executive director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education at the University of Maryland, provides a lens into the experiences of our community and gives us information about where we can make improvements. His findings are, at times, sobering, but we want to share them with you. To that end, Dr. Worthington will be conducting a series of events—with faculty, students, staff, and alumni—to share key insights.
Introduced Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Trainings and Programs
Over the last year and into this new school year, we have created and activated a series of important trainings and discussions. These include:
- Faculty discussions around teaching issues of race and inequality, and ways of creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all of our students.
- Trainings on implicit bias for full-time and adjunct faculty and staff.
- Expanded DEI programs and treatment of issues of race and identity as part of new student orientation and 1L programming through our “house system” and January orientation.
- DEI training for student organization leaders, along with journals and competition teams. We offered customized sessions last spring, and these sessions will be offered for a second time again this fall.
- Dialogue Days – opportunities for students and faculty to exchange information about issues of concern.
Established the Dean’s Diversity Council
This council of student leaders meets regularly with the Dean to share critical feedback regarding the experiences of students from historically underrepresented groups. Topics range from experiences in the classroom, in programs, and in various administrative offices. The students in this council provide a two-way line of communication and help foster accountability across the institution. Feedback shared with the Dean is critical in informing key action items in moving the school forward.
Created a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Chair Position Within the Student Bar Association
Last year we supported the SBA in its creation of a DEI Chair position. This leader works with student groups to ensure they consider DEI issues when planning and implementing programming.
Reformed Recruiting and Admissions
We reviewed and improved our processes for admitting and recruiting students from underrepresented groups. In order to achieve this, we collaborated with the leadership of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) to develop a program through which current BLSA students connected with student leaders and organizations from their undergraduate alma maters who may be prospective law students. Additionally, we strengthened our ties to CUNY and other minority-serving institutions. Based on these and other initiatives, we have seen forward movement in matriculating a more diverse student population though we continue our efforts. According to American Bar Association statistics (abarequireddisclosures.org), Black male enrollment in the first-year class at Fordham Law ranked fifth among all 200 American law schools in 2020. In the most recent entering class, 32 percent are students of color, which is a move northward from previous years. We have made strides, but we are continuing to review and implement changes so that we can make more needed progress.
Augmented Our IDEAL Program
We have established partnerships with law firms Kirkland & Ellis and Jones Day to support the IDEAL program — Increasing Diversity in Education and the Law. IDEAL identifies motivated and talented underrepresented college students in the New York City area and exposes them to the many facets of the legal profession with the goal of diversifying the legal pipeline and ultimately the profession. Through IDEAL we hope to inspire participants to attend law school and to become leaders on a variety of issues that impact the legal profession such as issues of racial, economic, and social justice.
Launched Our REAL Program
This summer we launched the REAL program — Realizing Excellence and Access in the Law. The program is focused on enhancing the academic, professional, wellness, and social opportunities for incoming first-year students, especially students from marginalized communities. It starts a few weeks before the commencement of classes and continues through the first year. Twenty students are participating in the program this year and we aim to expand it significantly next year. Preliminary feedback has been very strong with the participants reporting that the rigorous academic programming prepared them for their first semester and helped them to develop a community within the Law School.
Through this work we are learning difficult truths and tackling challenging subjects. While we’re proud of the work we’ve already started, we also recognize that there are still challenges ahead and much more to do. We look forward to meeting those challenges and working to make Fordham Law School a place that all students, staff, and faculty can truly think of as theirs.