Dora Galacatos ’96, adjunct professor of law and executive director of the Feerick Center for Social Justice, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of American Law Schools at its annual meeting, in recognition of her years of commitment to public service.
Galacatos was presented with the prestigious award at the AALS Section on Pro Bono and Access to Justice on January 9 in San Francisco. Over the course of her nearly three-decade career in public interest law, Galacatos has made a series of landmark contributions to expand access to justice for people in need.
Galacatos has a hands-on approach to program management and helped establish the CLARO programs in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, bringing together volunteer lawyers, law students, and unrepresented litigants facing debt-collection lawsuits. She has cultivated partnerships beyond New York City, including with her past work on Proyecto Dilley at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. She was also instrumental in co-administering the New York State Unified Court System’s Attorney Emeritus Program that connects senior lawyers with legal aid opportunities and which has contributed over 100,000 hours of pro bono service to over 13,000 client matters since its inception.
“Dora Galacatos’ work embodies Fordham Law’s mission of service, dedication, and excellence. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a compassionate leader and advocate within our community,” said Dean Joseph Landau. “Her leadership has not only inspired countless law students and volunteers to engage in public service but has also set new standards for supporting communities in need.”
Early on, Galacatos decided to dedicate her career to pro bono service. She graduated at the top of her Fordham Law School class and clerked for Judge Milton Pollack and Judge Paul A. Crotty in the Southern District of New York. “She had the option to pursue whatever path she wanted, and her decision to dedicate herself to serving marginalized communities is truly inspirational,” said Dean Landau.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our extraordinary team of staff and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers, our unmatched volunteer law students, and dedicated alumni,” said Galacatos. “Serving under the leadership of Dean Emeritus John D. Feerick—who inspires me and everyone at the Center to do our best—with the support of faculty director Professor Elizabeth B. Cooper, Dean Joseph Landau, and Dean Emeritus Matthew Diller before him, along with the dedicated community of friends and donors who have made the Center’s work possible, has been the honor of a lifetime.”.
Galacatos went on to lead the Feerick Center for nearly 20 years with a focus on providing long-term legal solutions for marginalized and low-income New Yorkers and people seeking humanitarian relief. Her colleagues speak of the “multiplier effect” her impact has had, touching not only those she works with directly, but also the countless law students she has trained and inspired through her work at the Feerick Centre.
“Dora has an exceptional commitment to serving others and has done so every step of the way since graduating from Fordham Law School,” said Dean Emeritus John D. Feerick ’61. “The Center for Social Justice, established by Dean William Treanor as the Law School’s centennial goal, thanks to Dora, has achieved the dream Dean Treanor had for the Center of providing opportunities for students and graduates in social justice lawyering—helping the vulnerable, needy, and marginalized. She has been the heart and soul of the Feerick Center.”