Joe Marchese-Schmitt ’25 was attracted to Fordham Law’s evening program so that he could continue with his full-time working for the New York City Office of Management and Budget while pursuing his J.D. He’s currently a Pro Bono Scholar at Fordham, dedicating his final semester of law school to pro bono legal work on behalf of low income and indigent people. He’s also a Stein Scholar, a program at the Law School designed to help students prepare for a career in public interest. His last semester working pro bono allowed him to take the bar exam early, and he will be working for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, working on plaintiff side antitrust litigation after graduation.
What is your degree program at Fordham Law?
J.D. Evening Program.
What is your hometown and where did you study before Fordham Law?
I grew up in Baldwin, New York, and I went to the University of Virginia, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. I stuck around for a fifth year and received a masters in public policy as well.
What are your areas of interest?
I’m still largely a generalist, but I’ve developed an interest in antitrust, which is what I’ll be working on in my upcoming role after graduation. I’m also a Pro Bono Scholar, which means I’m dedicating my entire final semester doing pro bono work. It’s been really cool; this semester, I’m working with pro se individuals that otherwise would have a difficult time navigating the court system. It’s been an interesting and vibrant experience so far. Very fulfilling, though, because these people need help. It’s rewarding to be able to get out there and help folks otherwise couldn’t bring lawsuits.
Why did you choose Fordham Law?
I was working at the New York City Office of Management and Budget as a Supervising Analyst of Intergovernmental Affairs, and I wanted to continue working while I went to school. So it was really attractive that Fordham had an evening program—it’s somewhat rare in the world of law school, and Fordham’s evening program is one of the more developed evening programs. A lot of other schools kind of just tack it on and say, “Yeah, sure, we can have some people come in at night.” Here, there’s more infrastructure for students that aren’t on the traditional law school path.
What has been the best thing about studying law in New York City?
Growing up, I had family in the city, and we would come in for holidays and go window shopping at Christmas. So for me, actually, it was kind of like coming home, which was nice. I try to remain mindful of all the benefits of living here that one could take for granted. There’s always something to do. Restaurants are open late, which is something I’m always shocked by when I go anywhere else—at nine o’clock, the whole world closes and I’m starving. But there are Broadway shows, museums—there’s just so much to do here, so I try to stay mindful of that. For folks that are new to the city, I imagine it’s a whole vibrant new experience they get to indulge in.
Is there something special you were involved in at Fordham Law?
I’ve been a Stein Scholar for my whole time here, and I have lots of great things to say about the Stein Scholars. The Stein Scholars Program is designed to help students prepare for a career in public interest, so there are a lot of experiential learning opportunities and it’s really focused on community.
I also did some research with Professor Nestor Davidson, who is incredible and who I met through the Stein Scholars program. I’ve also been fortunate to have externships—I did one summer externship with congressman Tom Suozzi ’89 in his legislative office, and then I spent a semester with the New York City Law Department, so that was almost an extension of the work I was doing before for my actual day job.
What has been your favorite moment/experience at Fordham Law? What was your most memorable law school moment?
It is hard to put my finger on a single one, but I will say one of the unique benefits of being an evening student is that you get to meet people from so many different backgrounds, which is really great. In my evening cohort, I had a classmate who was a doctor. I had classmates that were professors, social workers, some that work here at Fordham in the administration, and then you have folks who work in law enforcement and people that are on the other side who want to be public defenders. So, it’s been interesting to meet and study alongside people that already are working in different areas.
What are your plans after you graduate?
I’ll be working at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, where I’ll focus on plaintiff side antitrust litigation.
What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming 1Ls?
I think that I could give you two types of advice: the first is the more spiritual advice, which is to get through it. Law school can be a really fun and exciting experience, but also can be difficult, and so when people are at the valley of that experience, just keep walking and try and get through it. I also have more practical advice, which is to commit to doing well in your first few classes. People that do well in their 1L classes have better job opportunities and are more eligible for certain clubs. Lastly, it is very helpful to find a community when you start law school. And the Stein Scholar program has consistently been my community, so I really benefited from the time I spent in that group.
Have you had any important mentors during law school? If so, who and why?
I would definitely say Nestor Davidson. He’s been great not just in sort of initial mentorship, but also we’ve stayed in touch over my years here, it’s been really great. He also had a career that was inspiring to me and very interesting. He went between the public sector and the private sector, and we had a lot to relate to on those grounds. Between discussing his experiences and then helping with some of the research, he remained a very helpful and constructive presence for me through law school.
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