Fordham Law School community members had the rare opportunity to interact with eight judges from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on March 6.
The Judicial Day in Residence program is a unique initiative of the Center for Judicial Events & Clerkships, which develops a special collaboration between the Center and a particular area court with the goal of instilling in our student body a broader appreciation for the importance of civics and the rule of law.
For this year’s Day in Residence, the Center partnered with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Throughout the day judges on the court co-taught classes with Professors Corey Brettschneider, Daniel J. Capra, Martin Flaherty, Abner Greene, and Olivier Sylvain; enjoyed an informal lunch with faculty and students; hosted coffees with cohorts from various Fordham student organizations, including Fordham First Generation Students, Brendan Moore Trial Advocates, Moot Court Board, Realizing Excellence and Access in the Law (REAL) Scholars program, and Student Bar Association leaders; and engaged in a lively in a town hall discussion with the Law School community. The Day concluded with a reception in honor of the visiting judges.
CJEC worked closely with Chief Judge Debra A. Livingston to develop this year’s Judicial Day in Residence. She commended the program: “The Day in Residence was not only a learning opportunity for law students, professors, and judges. It was a great deal of fun. The members of my court left stimulated by the engagement of the Fordham students, and by their serious attention to understanding the judge’s role in our constitutional republic, and how lawyers, in particular, promote rule of law values. My colleagues and I thoroughly enjoyed engaging with them and with the outstanding faculty with whom we co-taught. We are looking forward to doing it again!”
In addition to Chief Judge Livingston, CJEC welcomed the following Second Circuit judges:
- Hon. Joseph Bianco;
- Hon. Denny Chin ’78, co-director of the Center on Asian Americans and the Law and the Lawrence W. Pierce ’51 Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Fordham Law;
- Hon. Dennis Jacobs;
- Hon. Maria Araújo Kahn ’89;
- Hon. Raymond Lohier;
- Hon. Gerard E. Lynch; and
- Hon. Richard J. Sullivan
The centerpiece of the day-long visit was a town hall discussion moderated by Professor James J. Brudney, Joseph Crowley Chair in Labor and Employment Law and CJEC faculty director. The judges shared with the Law School community their career journeys and how they approach their work on the bench, including adjudicating cases and statutory interpretation methods. They also talked about the importance of mentorship and emphasized the value law clerks bring to their day-to-day work.
“It was captivating to listen to eight members of the esteemed Second Circuit—not only because of how rare it is for the Second Circuit to sit en banc (or close to it), but also because of how truly personable each judge is,” said Student Bar Association President Josh Cockream ’24. “I appreciated learning about their approaches to statutory interpretation and found it enlightening to hear their thoughts on the potential administrative effects of a change to existing Chevron doctrine.”
“The Town Hall was a wonderful educational event for our attendees—addressing how the Circuit deals with challenging issues, from different perspectives but with consummate collegiality,” said Brudney. “That is a core lesson about rule of law engagement that our students can take with them.”
“It was an incredible experience for our entire community and the buzz among our students remains strong,” added CJEC Assistant Dean Suzanne M. Endrizzi ’96. “The Day in Residence is always such a special moment in our academic year.”
View scenes from the visit below:
