Dear Fordham Law Community, 

I hope you all are enjoying the fall semester, which I can't believe is already halfway over! 

Below is a selection of the latest DEI-related news and stories I wanted to share, which I think you will enjoy. Please note that there are many exciting events and programs coming up in the next few weeks, which I hope you consider attending.

Be well,

Kamille Dean
Senior Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Office of Student Affairs

Our REAL Scholars visited the Rose Hill campus earlier this month and met with Patricia Peek, dean of undergraduate admission at Fordham University. The campus visit was a bridge between the first and second cohorts of the REAL Scholars program.

The Jewish Law Students Association arranged for the inclusion of Sukkot at the Law School and set up a sukkah on the 2nd Floor Plaza for the week-long celebration.

A cohort of IDEAL Scholars met with New York Court of Appeals Associate Judge Madeline Singas ’91 before her fireside chat with Dean Matthew Diller on September 29.

In collaboration with Fordham University and the CUNY network as a minority-serving institution of higher education, the IDEAL Program identifies promising students and exposes them to a rich and dynamic educational curriculum that begins the sophomore year and culminates with graduation from their undergraduate institution.

On October 20, REAL Scholars attended a speed networking event at Hogan Lovells as guests of Rosevelie Márquez Morales ’02.

Lawyers and activists working on issues at the intersection of race and the law are frequently both deeply influenced by and making meaningful contributions to the public discourse. Due to their central role shaping this conversation, a new series organized by the Center on Race, Law and Justice argues that lawyers working in this area must be proficient public intellectuals in addition to their roles as litigators, lobbyists, and strategists.

Series moderator Professor Tanya K. Hernández will speak with four special guests throughout the next month.

Register and learn more

Eleanor Brown, a leading scholar of property, migration, globalization, development, and race and the law, will join the Fordham Law faculty in the spring and teach Property Law. Brown is currently a Professor of Law and International Affairs at the Pennsylvania State University (University Park campus) as well as a fellow at the Rock Ethics Institute. 

“I very much look forward to continuing to engage with issues of property, immigration and asset acquisition in the classroom, and the wider Fordham community,” said Brown. “This promises to be an exciting period of intellectual engagement.”

Read more

Lauren Kim ’23 was named a recipient of the 2022 Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) Law Student Scholarship Award, marking the second time in program history that a Fordham Law student has received the distinction.

“You encounter many barriers in the legal field as a person of color and as a woman,” said Kim. “KALAGNY is an organization that supports its community partly by understanding and addressing the specific issues that one faces as a result of who they are, and I find it incredibly impactful. I’m very honored to receive this scholarship, and it holds a lot of meaning for me.”

Read more

On October 8, the Asian American Bar Association of New York held its 13th Annual Fall Conference, “Forging a New Path to an Equitable Future,” at Fordham Law School. The event was co-sponsored by the Center on Asian Americans and the Law.

Kenneth C. Frazier, executive chair of Merck’s board of directors, will be honored at this year’s Fordham Law Stein Prize Dinner on November 3. The Fordham-Stein Prize is presented annually to a member of the legal profession whose work embodies the highest standards of the legal profession. Prize recipients exemplify outstanding professional conduct; promote the advancement of justice; and bring credit to the profession by emphasizing in the public mind the contributions of lawyers to our society and to our democratic system of government.

After a record-breaking Student Bar Association election (in which more than 30 students ran for the various positions and more than 250 ballots were submitted), Serena Grewal ’25 and Chantel Mattiola ’26 were elected the DEI Student Representatives for the Fordham Law SBA.

Save the date for a Diwali celebration! To celebrate the Festival of Lights, Fordham’s South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) is hosting an event in November for the Law School community. Stay tuned for details!

The U.S. Department of Defense announced the appointment of Leitner Family Professor of International Law Thomas H. Lee to the newly established Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. Professor Lee will balance his new role with his existing commitments to the Law School community.

Read the announcement in the Fordham Law newsroom

Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program recently hosted an exclusive intensive exam-taking workshop for law students in the REAL Scholars program, teaching students how to effectively manage their time during the bar exam, dissect exam fact patterns and questions, and more. The workshop was taught by former long-time Fordham Law Professor Ted Neustadt. Kamille Dean, senior director of diversity, equity & inclusion at Fordham Law, also gave remarks on finding academic success in law school.

Fordham Law’s queer affinity group OUTLaws has launched a new task force, Advocates for Trans Law Students (ATLS). ATLS was created to advocate and provide support for trans and non-binary students at Fordham Law School and bring awareness to transgender issues throughout the country. Details about how ATLS will observe Transgender Awareness Week (November 13-19) will be shared in the coming weeks. Have questions or want to get involved? Email Grey Cohen ’24.

There are always additional events happening at Fordham University through the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Take a look at their offerings to find an upcoming program. 

Stories and news leads may be sent to Fordham Law’s Marketing and Communications Office for potential coverage.