Dean Emeritus and Norris Professor of Law John D. Feerick ’61 was featured in an article by Irish Central that recounts Dean Feerick’s journey and the impact that he made on the U.S. Constitution.
The 25th amendment allows the President to appoint a Vice President whenever that office falls vacant, allows an incapacitated President to step aside temporarily without forfeiting the office and provides a mechanism whereby the Vice President, upon a majority vote of the Cabinet, may declare the President incapacitated and serve as Acting President until he recovers.
Professor John Feerick is the former Dean of Fordham Law school, a highly respected lawyer who was called on in huge arbitration cases but is best known by far for his pioneering work on the 25th amendment.
Truly, the quietly spoken son of Mayo has done the state some service. His seminal book “From Failing Hands: The Story of Presidential Succession” is the core work, so well-argued it was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize when it was released.
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I’m sure [Feerick’s parents] never dreamed their son would go on to such amazing heights as Dean of Fordham Law School. There is also the Feerick Center for Social Justice, which works with students, alumni, lawyers, and community volunteers to connect low-income New Yorkers to the legal resources they need and cannot afford.
During his term, he became editor of the Fordham Law School Journal. A controversial student election where the winner resigned and there was no obvious successor piqued his interest in presidential succession races.
