Fordham Law School is proud to announce that Judge Maria Araújo Kahn ’89, who sits on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, will be the keynote speaker at Fordham Law School’s 118th Diploma Ceremony on Monday, May 19.
The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Edwards Parade at the Rose Hill Campus of Fordham University in the Bronx, where over 630 law students will receive their diplomas.
“We are honored and thrilled to have such a distinguished alumna speak at our 2025 Diploma Ceremony,” said Dean Joseph Landau. “Judge Kahn is an inspiration to our graduating students as they enter the legal profession. She embodies our Law School’s longstanding mission of law in the service of others and represents the very best of our community.”
Kahn has been an active alumna of the Law School and has spoken on several occasions as a panelist and honored guest speaker for the Center of Judicial Events and Clerkships.
Kahn immigrated to the United States from Angola at age 10. She learned English as a second language and was interested in advocating and problem-solving for her family and her immigrant neighbors. This passion led her to pursue the law—first earning her bachelor’s degree from New York University in 1986, cum laude, and then attending Fordham Law, where she focused on working toward a career in public interest.
After completing a clerkship with Judge Peter C. Dorsey of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, she worked as a public defender before joining the State of Connecticut’s Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities as a staff attorney.
Kahn then served as an assistant United States attorney in the District of Connecticut for nearly a decade. During her tenure as a federal prosecutor, she was recognized with several Special Achievement Awards from the Department of Justice and two Integrity Awards from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services. In 2006, Kahn was appointed to the Connecticut Superior Court, where she presided, mainly, over criminal matters for 11 years. In 2017, she was appointed to serve on the Connecticut Appellate Court and, just three months later, rose to the Connecticut Supreme Court. In 2023, Kahn was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Click here for more information on this year’s diploma ceremony.
Read more about Judge Maria Araújo Kahn and her career on the bench:
Judicial Center Initiative Welcomes First Generation Judges to Share Insights
Judicial Center Welcomes Judges through its View from Chambers Series
Second Circuit Court of Appeals Headlines Judicial Center’s 2024 Judicial Day in Residence
