While a student at Fordham Law School focusing on pursuing a career path in public interest Judge Maria Araújo Kahn ’89 never predicted she would one day be a judge. Thirty-five years later, she sits on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals hearing appellate cases arising from the federal district courts within the circuit.
“Don’t use law school as a limit. Expose yourself to different areas because you don’t know whether you’ll like something. There’s no one path to becoming a judge,” Judge Kahn said.
On October 23, Judge Kahn returned to Fordham Law as the 2024 First to the Bench Jurist. The First to the Bench Program, an initiative of the Center for Judicial Events & Clerkships (CJEC), brings first-generation jurists to the Law School to speak to the entire law school community—law students, alumni, faculty, and staff—about their career path and experiences on the bench.
Prior to her confirmation to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 2023, Judge Kahn served as a state court judge on all levels of the Connecticut state judiciary—first on the Connecticut Superior Court then on the Connecticut Appellate Court and ultimately on the Connecticut Supreme Court. In addition, Judge Kahn served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Connecticut for nearly nine years. She also previously was the co-chair of the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Access to Justice Commission and the Limited English Proficiency Committee.
CJEC Assistant Dean Suzanne M. Endrizzi ’96 moderated the fireside chat, which included Judge Kahn discussing her upbringing as an immigrant from Angola and her path to the bench.
Judge Kahn began assimilating to her new life in the U.S. at the age of 10, including having to learn English as a second language. She shared with the audience that part of her family and community role was to serve both as her parents’ interpreter and also as the “go-to problem solver” for other Portuguese immigrants living in the neighborhood.
She recalled, “I met a friend of my parents recently, someone I knew years ago when I was 12 years old, who said, ‘When I came to this country, I came under an immigration contract work visa that was supposed to be for Philadelphia, but was [designated]for somewhere else. Your mother said, ‘Don’t worry, my daughter will handle it.’ I went to your house, and you got on the phone and said that this was a contract. Even back then, you were a lawyer.’”
“That was true,” she continued. “That helped shape my interest in pursuing a law degree and advocating for people.”
The audience, which included current law students and young alumni who are first generation, also received valuable advice on handling the pressures of succeeding when you are “the first” in the family.
“A friend of mine once said, ‘Maria, you’re an immigrant and became a federal prosecutor. Do you ever just stop?’” Judge Kahn recalled. “I said, ‘No, because if I do, I’m not going to want more and not going to want to try to become a better lawyer and judge.’”
She added, “This is a dream to be in the position I’m in; I’m so lucky. I want to do a good job that my colleagues, the bar, my alma mater, and my clerks will respect me. That’s the goal.”
Prior to the fireside chat, the CJEC collaborated with its primary cosponsor for this initiative—Fordham First Generation Students organization—to host a small, informal discussion with Judge Kahn. Immediately after the fireside chat, the attendees joined Judge Kahn for a reception hosted in her honor.
“The First to the Bench event encapsulates everything that makes Fordham Law special—community—bringing together our faculty, staff, students and alumni. Judge Kahn’s warmth set a special and welcoming tone to the evening,” said Endrizzi.
“Judge Kahn’s dedication to the legal profession, her thoughtful responses to questions, and her personal magnetism all came through clearly. The audience was appropriately captivated,” added James J. Brudney, Joseph Crowley Chair in Labor and Employment Law and CJEC Faculty Director.
In February 2020, Judge Kahn spoke at the Center’s inaugural First to the Bench along with Judge Denny Chin ’78 (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit). The program has also hosted Judge Christine Arguello (U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado), Judge Diane J. Humetewa (U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona), Judge Zahid N. Quraishi (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey), and Judge Hector Gonzalez (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York) to speak about their experiences as first-generation judges.
