The Fordham Law Review will be holding its annual fall symposium on Nov. 5, focusing on legal issues facing parents and families. The program is sponsored by the Carlinsky Family Dean’s Faculty Research Fund. Two dozen scholars, practitioners, and advocates of different backgrounds and expertise from across the country have been invited to participate in the virtual event. Together, they will discuss fundamental questions about how the law defines and treats parents, as well as how economic security, race, sexual orientation, and class are central to considering these questions. “We were really excited to work with Professor Clare Huntington, one…
Author: Erin DeGregorio
A Message from Dean Matthew Diller October 22, 2021 Dear Fordham Law Community, As you know, in June of 2020 we made a commitment to take a hard look at our institution so that we could better understand where we are falling short in providing students, faculty, and staff of color with an equitable, inclusive, and truly welcoming experience. We took a number of swift and concrete actions detailed in our anti-racism action plan here. Below are some of the latest developments and significant actions our community has taken to make real progress against our original promise: Commissioned a Racial…
The Feerick Center for Social Justice had much to celebrate on Oct. 18 as it marked its 15th anniversary and recognized esteemed leaders in the legal profession from the Fordham Law School community. The Feerick Center was established in 2006 as a permanent legacy of the Law School’s centennial by former Dean William Michael Treanor. It honors Professor John D. Feerick ’61, his predecessor as Dean, for his deep commitment and passion to instill excellence and work “in the service of others” in legal education and practice. Since then, leaders in the Feerick Center have strived to advance social and…
When Aviva Will ’95 was a young litigation associate in the 1990s, she recalls seeing only a handful of female partners at her large firm. “I didn’t think women had a fair shake at big law,” she notes. Now, as co-chief operating officer of legal finance and asset management firm Burford Capital, Will is leading Burford’s Equity Project, which recently announced a new funding phase to provide an additional $100 million in litigation funding for women and racially diverse attorneys. Will says the next phase builds on not only her experience as a woman at a large law firm, but…
This fall, Fordham Law School welcomed 20 students into the Stein Scholars Program in Public Interest Law and Ethics. The program is aimed at fostering the next generation of public interest lawyers through academic and specialized discussion series, mentorships, and volunteer work with public interest organizations. This group of highly motivated Steins, who were chosen from diverse backgrounds for their demonstrated commitment to public interest law and public service, are members of the classes of 2023, 2024 (day division), and 2025 (evening division). Alan Eiland ’24 has a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations and has academically focused on Black…
Cristel Taveras FCLC ’14, LAW ’25 has been named a member of the inaugural class of scholars in the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project. The project was named in memory of the response that the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave in 2015 when people asked her when she thought there would be “enough” women serving on the Supreme Court. “When there are nine,” she replied nonchalantly. The program aims to honor the legacy of Ginsburg by furthering her commitment to expanding career opportunities for women in the law and promoting equity and diversity in…
Freedom of speech and expression, two bedrock principles of American life, will be the subject of a new series at Fordham this year. Speech Acts, which kicks off this week, will bring together high-profile speakers such as George Stephanopoulos and Nikole Hannah-Jones for eight panels and lectures to address an issue that has become increasingly fraught over the last few years. “We’ve had a long-standing ferment in society, in the culture, and perhaps most intensely, on American campuses, about freedom of speech—what you can do, what you can say, and what can be discussed and in what form,” said David…
The Fordham Law community is mourning the passing of Dennis J. Kenny FCRH ’57, LAW ’61, a lifetime director of the Fordham Law Alumni Association (FLAA) who served on the association’s board of directors for more than 25 years. Kenny died on Oct. 1 at the age of 85. He is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Judith GSE ’86; and three children, Brian; James and his wife, Kristen; and Susan and her husband, Simon Coope, as well as his much-loved grandchildren, Owen, Aidan, and Anastasia. “Dennis Kenny was the model of a lawyer in the service of…
In the aftermath of the events of Jan. 6, members of Congress and Capitol Police officers have filed lawsuits against former President Donald J. Trump and others alleging they are liable for the destruction in the Capitol and for personal injuries suffered during the riot. They seek money damages from Trump personally, as well as from other defendants. Working in collaboration with the Constitutional Accountability Center and a number of professors at other law schools, Professor Andrew Kent, John D. Feerick Research Chair, contributed to three amici curiae briefs supporting the suits. In response to the lawsuits, Trump and his…
As Fordham Law School celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, we spoke with Dayana Ledezma ’22 and Zane Mitchell ’22—president and vice president, respectively, of Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA)—about the group’s goals for the 2021-22 academic year and the fun events that will be held in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. This past year and a half has been filled with classes, events, and student organizations meeting remotely. What was LALSA able to accomplish during the 2020-21 academic year, and how do you plan to build on that momentum for this academic year? DL: We were actually able to do…