As Fordham Law kicked off its fall semester today, first-year and returning students came together in community-building and public service activities, new professors joined the faculty, and the campus community looked forward to a slate of events that will bring leading voices in law and policy to campus.
In total, 1,588 students will attend classes at Fordham Law this fall, including day and evening J.D. students and those in the LL.M., M.S.L., and S.J.D. programs, making Fordham one of the largest law schools in the U.S.
Many returning students participated in legal internships and externships this past summer. Third-year student Roxanne Roman ’26, just got back from spending the summer interning with the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. “Assisting with court martials all summer was inspiring and eye opening,” said Roman. “I’m so excited to compete with the Brendan Moore Trial Advocacy teams this year so I can learn how to work a court room, too! The experience will definitely be very helpful skill building for my future work.”
Fordham Law boasts an incoming 1L class of 375 day students and 72 evening students that is 53% women. The new class represents 149 colleges and universities, 31 states, and nine countries. Among these first-year students are doctors, political consultants, musicians, podcasters, cancer survivors, journalists, and Fulbright Award recipients.
“We are so excited to welcome you on this journey,” Dean and Paul Fuller Professor of Law Joseph Landau told the new class at orientation. “Your integration into every aspect of this institution is our priority. Your values are our values, and your dreams are our dreams. We’re here to help you get there. So be ready to be pushed. Be ready to reach and exceed new personal limits. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and to jump in.”
Fordham Law also welcomed five new faculty members this academic year: Robin Effron, Jamie Grischkan, Katherine Hughes, Jane Manners, and Adam D. Orford. These scholars and teachers bring a range of expertise to the Law School, including in civil procedure, financial regulation, non-profit and social enterprise law, legal history, and environmental law. Students will have the opportunity to join Professors Effron and Orford for new classes they are teaching on Transnational Contract Law and Renewable Energy Development Law, respectively.
On Saturday, August 23, Fordham Law hosted its annual Public Service Day for all incoming students to engage with Fordham’s motto, “In the Service of Others.” Organized by the Public Interest Resource Center, student groups volunteered their time across the city in projects ranging from writing letters of affirmation to local elementary school students to read before they start the school year to hosting a community tabling event in East New York to inform local residents about reproductive justice issues.
Fordham Law also welcomed 24 students taking part in the REAL Scholars program, Fordham Law’s leadership program for first-year law students who have encountered challenges or obstacles on their path to entering law school.
First-year students got a head start on the semester at orientation, held from August 11 to August 23, where they were introduced to faculty, the first-year curriculum, and workshops geared towards professionalism and career planning. This year, 1L students took part in a new session about law and technology, specifically about the use of AI in law school and the legal profession, led by Professors Aniket Kesari and Chinmayi Sharma. Students had opportunities each day to meet and socialize with their cohort through barbeques, block parties, and receptions.
As returning 2L and 3L students had their first day of classes, they brought with them inspiring and enriching summer experiences—from internships with the Reporter’s Committee for the Freedom of the Press in Washington, D.C., to the United Steelworkers in Pittsburgh. Students also traveled abroad, learning about conflict resolution as part of Fordham Law’s Ireland Program, and getting a firsthand look at international law as part of the Fordham-SKKU Summer Institute of International Law in South Korea.
This fall calendar is packed with notable events, offering students opportunities to engage, learn, and connect with global experts on law and policy. They include the International Access to Justice Forum 2025 on September 26 and 27, the Center on Asian Americans and the Law’s screening of “Yellow Face” on September 30, a book talk and panel featuring Pulitzer Prize finalist Adam Haslett on October 8, the Center for Judicial Events and Clerkships’ (CJEC) First to the Bench event featuring Judge Fabiana Pierre-Louis of the New Jersey Supreme Court, on October 29, and the CJEC View from Chambers event welcoming the New York Appellate Division and Commercial Division on November 12.
This academic year is marked by significant milestones: the 120th anniversary of the founding of Fordham Law School’s founding on September 28, 1905, as well as the 10th anniversary of Fordham Law’s Neuroscience and Law Center, established in 2015 as a multi-disciplinary, evidence-based center exploring how these scientific advances in neuroscience affect the legal system.
View more photos from the first day of school here:
