Fordham Lawyer Magazine – Spring 2024
a Heart for Students,
and a Soul for Justice
The Legacy
of Dean
Matthew
Diller
Fordham Law alumni
navigate the brave new
world of AI
Jessica Berman ’02
leads the
National Women’s
Soccer League
SNAPSHOT
FUTURE FORDHAM LAWYERS The classes of 2026 and 2027 gather for fall orientation and the beginning of their law school journey.
Departments
Passing the Torch
The Joys of Being Dean
Our alumni are the bedrock of this community. Through their steadfast commitment to our mission, generosity with insights offered both to me and to our team of faculty and administrators, critically needed philanthropic support, and advocacy for our students and our school, our alumni have enabled us to build an institution that is responsive to the changing landscape of the legal profession and our world. This crucial support makes it possible for our students to launch successful careers and serve as leaders in addressing the challenges of our times. I am profoundly grateful for their collaborative spirit and deep dedication to Fordham Law over these many years.
THE Docket
Bringing an End to Billions
Brian Koppelman ’95 was an unlikely law student.
The co-creator and showrunner of Showtime drama Billions, which aired its finale in October 2023, had a successful music industry career when he enrolled at Fordham Law. After graduation, he put his skills to work writing screenplays and television scripts.
Legal themes feature prominently in Koppelman’s shows and movies, including the tense rivalry between a fictional U.S. attorney and a hedge fund manager on Billions. After seven seasons, Billions may be over, but viewers can look forward to more of Koppelman’s gripping narratives about money and power. He has hinted at a Billions Miami spin-off.
In the film Rounders, which Koppelman co-wrote soon after graduating, there’s a Fordham Law Easter egg many alums might recognize. Abe Petrovsky, the law professor who encourages the main character to pursue his dream of playing professional poker, was inspired by the late Fordham Law professor Abraham Abramovsky.
The Legacy of
Dean Matthew Diller
Illustrations by Mike Austin
Rise of the Machines
How AI is Reshaping the Legal Profession
By Jenny Hontz
Game Changer
After breaking barriers as a woman executive in the world of men’s professional sports, Jessica Berman ’02 is bringing her business savvy—grounded in emotional intelligence and a deep commitment to ethics and integrity—to shape the future of women’s soccer.
By Pamela Kaufman
Above: Commissioner Jessica Berman ’02 presents the MVP award to Margaret Purce of Gotham FC at the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League championship game (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images).
Hope Amid Crisis
The End of an Era
Tanya K. Hernández
BY Elizabeth Moore
Future Fordham Lawyers
Making Their Mark
Lola Todman ’25
Outside of the classroom, I have the great honor of serving as a representative on the Student Bar Association, most recently as an appointee to the Curriculum and Academic Standards Committee. In this role I work closely with the deans and faculty on a variety of projects, allowing me to witness their genuine enthusiasm for enhancing the student experience. Most of all, I appreciate the opportunity to connect and confer with my incredible classmates as I strive to amplify their voices in the decision-making process.
Photo
Album
THOUGHT LEADERS
New Faculty Bring Expertise in Tech and International Law
Professor of Law
Associate Professor of Law
Associate Professor of Law
Class Notes
’64
’73
’74
’75
Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri was appointed the alternative asset manager chief operating officer of TPG Capital.
’03
Lori Harrison joined Proskauer Rose LLP as trademark counsel in the firm’s litigation department at its New York office.
Michael Sternheim made partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.
Alumni of Distinction
Felipe N. Torres
Public Servant
pathbreaking Afro-Latino leader and legal trailblazer, Felipe N. Torres led a life of “firsts.” He was born on a farm in 1897, in the town of Salinas on the island of Puerto Rico. A year later, during the Spanish-American War, the U.S. military invaded and occupied Puerto Rico, displacing Spain as the island’s colonial ruler. The American government instituted sweeping economic and political changes, including an official campaign of “Americanization” of Puerto Rican children. Torres was a member of the first generation to attend the newly constructed schools where English-only instruction was imposed. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship under the Jones Act. After enlisting in the army and serving as a second lieutenant in World War I, Torres settled in New York City, becoming a pionero of the nascent Puerto Rican community.
Thank You, Dean Diller!
Visit law.fordham.edu/ThankYouDeanDiller, or call 212-636-6529 to make your gift today.
Welcoming the 12th Dean of Fordham Law School
Masthead
Fordham Lawyer
Attn: Communications Office
Fordham Law School
150 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023
Assistant Dean, Fordham Law School, and AVP for External Relations, Fordham University
Youngjae Lee
Associate Dean for Research
Ornela Ramaj Rudovic
Director of Alumni Relations
Elizabeth McKeveny
Senior Director of Development Operations