As a Midwest-native and first-generation law student, Emma Hazeltine ’24 has felt prepared and supported thanks to mentorship at Fordham Law. Since arriving at Fordham Law, she has sought opportunities to be both mentored and serve as a mentor whenever and wherever possible.
As a member of the Law School’s Professionalism Fellows Program for the past two years, Hazeltine has built relationships with nearly 300 fellow students, helping them navigate their first year of law school and organizing community-building initiatives that encourage social engagement in informal settings.
Why did you choose Fordham Law?
When I was deciding where I wanted to go to law school, Fordham Law’s House System stuck out to me as a unique opportunity to form community. I am from the Midwest and had no network in New York, so I was drawn to the House System’s mission and intentional programming for first-year students.
During my 1L year, I was pleasantly surprised that the House System lived up to my expectations—my professionalism fellow and faculty house leader put on events that were informative, inclusive, and fun. I made wonderful friends within my house and felt prepared and supported in navigating my first year of law school.
At the end of my 1L year, applying to be a professionalism fellow during 2L was an easy decision. The House System was a primary reason why I chose Fordham Law, the fellows program played an extremely important part of my 1L experience, and I knew I wanted to take a hands-on role in supporting new 1Ls during my second and third years.
I also chose Fordham Law because I wanted to go to a Jesuit law school and start my legal career in New York City. I was super impressed by how highly students and staff spoke of the “Fordham network.” Now that I am a student here, I can attest that the Fordham network is as exceptional as I had heard.
Why is professionalism and mentorship important to you?
Professionalism, mentorship, and inclusion at Fordham Law are important to me because they all connect back to the Jesuit idea of cura personalis, meaning “care for the whole person.” Many students come into law school believing that academic success, prestige, and competitiveness are all they need to succeed—but, in my experience, it’s so much more than that. To truly succeed, students need to be supported not just academically, but physically, emotionally, and socially too. They need a space where they can learn about opportunities outside of the classroom, think about and curate their professional identities, and form friendships and professional relationships. The House System provides this and is proof that Fordham Law is operating in the spirit of its Jesuit mission.
What has been your favorite experience as a fellow?
My favorite program that I’ve organized as a professionalism fellow is a “house-giving” celebration, which serves as an opportunity for the house to gather right before the Thanksgiving break and celebrate the 1Ls turning in their “open memos,” a long legal writing assignment due mid-November. I hosted this event in the fall of 2022 and fall of 2023, with buffet catering, and had very high student participation. This year, a few other fellows also hosted similar house-givings for their students, and the Office of Professionalism hopes to formalize this event for all houses in the future.
Another one of my favorite house experiences—though I cannot take credit for the planning—is the House Wellness Walk during the Office of Professionalism’s annual “Wellness Week” in October. During these walks, our faculty house leader, Professor Howard Erichson, planned a walk through Central Park and the 1Ls had a chance to chat with their fellow students and professors outside of the classroom setting. Looking back at my law school experience, these wellness walks have been special because I attended all three years: as a student during my 1L year and as a professionalism fellow during my 2L and 3L years.
How do you think serving as a fellow will help you in your career?
In terms of transferable skills, serving as a professionalism fellow has let my creativity shine and given me experience in leading large groups of people, oral presentation and communication, and logistics and organization. But so much more than that, being a fellow—and the House System more generally—has allowed me to build relationships with nearly 300 soon-to-be Fordham Law graduates, who will be my future colleagues and peers in the legal field. From not knowing anyone in New York City when I first started at Fordham Law to now having an expansive network of truly brilliant and kind-hearted individuals at the end of my third year makes me incredibly grateful for the House System.
What do you hope to do when you graduate?
After graduation, I will be working at a large law firm here in New York City, where I hope to join the trusts & estates group.
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