Fordham Law School Dean Joseph Landau was described as a “staggering” legal scholar, a “godsend” in the classroom, a “team player,” and a “happy warrior,” among other accolades, at his official installation on Sept. 12.
Landau, the former associate dean of academic affairs at Fordham Law, was chosen as its 12th dean this past spring and began his tenure July 1. Fordham Law School is the sixth largest in the nation and has over 1,000 law students. Well-wishers at his installation included alumni, faculty, staff, and family members, along with lawyers and legal scholars from the New York region and beyond.
David Tanen ’96, co-founder and partner of the venture capital firm Two River, led the proceeding, which took place at the Law School and included glowing speeches from colleagues, students, mentors, and Fordham University leadership.
Fordham University President Tania Tetlow told the audience that choosing Landau to be dean was “the easiest decision I’ve ever made.”
“Joe is beloved for the quality of his mind and also for the quality of his heart as lawyer, as teacher, as husband, as father,” Tetlow added. “Joe, you will be a servant leader, bringing your commitment to the Jesuit mission, the pursuit of academic excellence and social justice, and most of all, your utter devotion to our students. I’m so excited to see what you and I can achieve for Fordham.”
A frequent theme among all of the speakers was Landau’s dynamism as a teacher, scholar, and administrator.
“He has boundless energy, he’s creative, and he has an inquisitive mind,” said Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis, a senior United States district judge in the Eastern District of New York and a longtime mentor to Landau. “He’s given a great deal back to the law school over the last 15 years. He loves his students. He admires his colleagues on the faculty. He appreciates the devotion and the importance of the alumni … he’s a team player.”
Kendall Thomas, Nash Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, spoke about Landau’s reputation as a legal scholar. He called Landau’s record of publication “staggering” as he cited a series of influential articles Landau published on marriage equality, immigration law, and the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. In closing, Thomas said of Landau, “You are an extraordinary individual, my friend, I am sure you will lead Fordham to extraordinary new heights.”
Dean Landau (center) flanked by Fordham University President Tania Tetlow and his predecessors Deans Emeriti Michael Martin and John Feerick ’61 (left) Deans Emeriti Matthew Diller and William Treanor (right).
“This is one of those shining moments when the past, present, and future come together as a new law school deanship begins and a new chapter in the history of the school opens,” said Dean Emeritus John Feerick ’61, who regaled the audience with a history of the 11 deans who led Fordham Law since its founding in 1905. “I am thrilled by his appointment and honored to be a member of the faculty in his first year as dean.”
Elizabeth Moore ’18, who was a student in Landau’s Civil Procedure class as a 1L and is now an associate in Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft’s Global Litigation Group, read excerpts from course reviews by her fellow students that described Landau as a “revelation,” “godsend,” and “the best professor they ever had.”
Connecting Landau’s qualities in the classroom and his leadership style, Moore added, “Dean Landau, as the new face of and force behind this institution, you will find new ways to make Fordham and this noble profession as stirring to prospective students as you made a path in litigation and even Civil Procedure to me. The door to the Dean’s suite, no doubt will always be open, as yours was for countless office hours.”
As a fellow faculty member who joined Fordham the same year as Landau, Professor Olivier Sylvain offered a very personal perspective, lauding Landau’s humanity, his verve as a colleague, and his love for his husband, Joe Fitzgerald, and their children.
“I can’t think of anyone that’s better suited to this position,” Said Sylvain. He’s an extraordinary colleague, a friend and team player. I really believe everyone on our faculty would say that. He’s a happy warrior—not in the sense of war, but in the way of spreading the gospel of positivity and possibility, and that’s a lot of what you’ve been telling [the faculty]recently. You care deeply about this institution, and you have since day one.”
Humbled by the outpouring of praise, Landau took the stage to thank the speakers—along with acknowledging his family, colleagues, and alumni for their support—and offered a stirring vision of Fordham’s place in the world.
“Fordham is a place that has always been more than just an institution—more than just a law school—from our inception, a place committed to a mission to open doors to people facing barriers, to promote social mobility, and to democratize the legal profession,” he said. “We are a beacon of learning, as vibrant and dynamic as the community that forms it, with our own unique story, with our own heartbeat.”
In closing, Landau offered an inspirational vision for Fordham Law’s future.
“Fordham is a special place, an everlasting place, a magical place, and we will keep the magic going,” Landau said. “Our solid foundation inspires my conviction that we can and will achieve new levels of excellence in every single aspect of our school with our incredible people and all of your support. I’m confident that we will realize the ambitious goals and the big plans that lie ahead.”
