From the Dean

A year like no other.

The rise of a global pandemic and the urgent demand for racial justice has shaken our nation, community, and Law School to their core. Add to that the stress of a divisive presidential election, and we are truly living through unprecedented times.

So many of the critical issues now at stake—from racial injustice and police brutality to executive overreach and interference in the judicial system—are central to our work. We are committed to training the next generation of lawyers who will fight to uphold the rule of law and to advancing legal scholarship that asks the tough questions and seeks practical solutions.

Dean Matthew Diller

While these times may be tumultuous and racked with uncertainty, I try to remind our students that this is also a period that holds out great hope and potential. As we enter a new awakening to the pervasiveness and harms of racism, protesters have taken to the streets to demand justice for Black Americans, Confederate monuments are falling, and so many institutions, including our own, are taking stock of the pernicious effects of systemic racism.

In these pages, you will read about how the Fordham Law community has responded to the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black Americans by law enforcement, as well as the frank conversations sparked by students, faculty, and the administration about structural racism here at Fordham and the actions we are taking to move forward. We also profile alum Ben Tucker ’81, who, as second-in-command of the New York Police Department, is facing the issues of police brutality head-on and leading the way on policing reform.

As we experience this national moment of racial reckoning, we remain in the grip of a viral outbreak that has threatened our lives, jeopardized the economy, and disrupted the way we deliver legal education. In this issue, our faculty reflect on the overnight transition from in-person education to virtual instruction, sharing the challenges of teaching remotely as well as some of the more surprising silver linings. In addition, our exceptional professors provide their critical perspectives on a wide range of legal and policy issues that have emerged as a result of the global pandemic.

Finally, we pay tribute to the outstanding work of our clinics as well as our alumni to provide support and assistance to individuals, businesses, and communities affected by the pandemic. From volunteering to provide emergency medical service to pro bono advocacy for essential workers, Fordham Law alumni have stepped up to COVID-19 in many impactful ways. I could not be more proud and inspired by how our community has rallied to help those most in need, truly exemplifying our motto, “In the Service of Others.”

Matthew Diller
Dean and Paul Fuller Professor of Law

Back to issue