Fordham Lawyer Magazine – Winter/Spring 2023
The Leadership Issue
DA Anne Donnelly ’89
Rep. Jerry Nadler ’78
SNAPSHOT
BEHIND THE SCENES Dean Matthew Diller and President Tania Tetlow discuss leadership, lawyers, and more. Read the story on page 8 or watch the conversation.
Contents – Summer/Fall 2022
Features
Departments
The Makings of a Leader.
hrough all the upheavals of the past few years, one of the many lessons we’ve learned is the tremendous importance of leadership. In the face of each crisis, many people rose to
meet the moment—some of whom were already established leaders, others new and from unexpected places. We could not have navigated all of these challenges without their efforts.
But what makes a good leader? And how can we build communities that are prepared to meet upcoming challenges while also keeping all of their members in mind? One of our responsibilities at Fordham Law is to train the leaders of tomorrow. Our graduates are leaders in the legal profession, as well as in business, government, and the nonprofit sector. Moreover, lawyers have a special role in our democracy and are often called upon to guide us through our most difficult issues. Thus, how we train lawyers to use their expertise and vision to inspire others and to build resilient communities and organizations is of the utmost importance.
THE Docket
My Little Law Firm
Already a practicing lawyer in France, Autier-Chanot first came to Fordham Law through the Legal English Institute before pursuing her LL.M. in 2018. She’s now started her own Paris-based firm focused on employment law, including cases related to gender discrimination in the workplace.
But her career journey was not without its hurdles, she said, including the difficulties of juggling her career and parenthood after the birth of her first child. Despite feeling that motherhood had made her a better lawyer, there were practical issues standing in her way—like childcare. She found an American Bar Association study that confirmed this was a common issue: 46 percent of women lawyers have stated work-life balance and the lack of support for family and child caretaking responsibilities as one of the main reasons why they leave the profession.
“There was no support whatsoever for women lawyers like me, who are ambitious but who also care about their children and want a more balanced life,” said Autier-Chanot. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues and reinforced the isolation faced by women lawyers when they become mothers, said Autier-Chanot. “And that was my ‘aha’ moment.”
Autier-Chanot came up with the idea for My Little Law Firm, combining a child day care center and a co-working space designed for women lawyers. The idea is still in the early stages of development, but Autier-Chanot is confident the center would be a valuable resource for working mothers.
“I have a daughter, and if she was to be a lawyer, I would not want her to go through what I’ve been through,” says Autier-Chanot. “That’s why I would like to improve the condition of women in the legal profession. Because that’s what we’re supposed to do—make things better for the next generation.”
Leading with Authenticity
& Fordham Law Dean Matthew Diller
President Tania Tetlow: One thing I’ve learned is that you have to have a variety of skills—it’s the range that matters. And you must be authentic. The myth of perfectionism is just silliness.
MD: How did you come to that realization?
TT: In some ways, it’s my awareness of what Saint Ignatius [the founder of the Jesuits] knew, 500 years before all the business school reviews came up with it. [To be a good leader] you need to be aware of your own flaws, have the ability to listen hard and take in information in all sorts of ways, and then be able to sit with it and give decisions the time they need while checking your gut and your values.
The Leadership Lab
t’s a situation to which nearly any New York attorney can relate: Khasim Lockhart ’18 was stuck in traffic on his way to work. As his stress level rose, he navigated Manhattan rush hour driving while calling—hands-free, of course—into his office at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, where he is an associate, to manage his morning schedule.
Then Lockhart remembered a recent discussion on stress management he’d had with the students in his Peer Mentoring & Leadership course at Fordham Law. “My class topic was on stress and how to make stress your friend,” said Lockhart, an adjunct professor at the Law School. “So, rather than getting down on myself, I remembered the class I’d taught.”
Lockhart’s leadership mindset hasn’t helped him only in traffic. Now a fifth-year associate, he is already serving on firm committees. As the chair of the firm’s racial justice task force, he—as a midlevel associate—leads biweekly discussions attended by firm leaders.
Lockhart credited his leadership mindset in part to what he learned at Fordham Law: “Fordham always told me yes.”
Doing the
Right Thing
ordham Law’s motto, ‘In the service of others,’ is how I was raised,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly ’89. “We were taught that no matter what type of law you practiced, an attorney is there to be of service to others.”
As a young girl, Donnelly often accompanied her father, Patrick Galligan, a court officer at the Nassau County Courthouse, to work. At her inauguration in January 2022, Donnelly said, “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine [that] one day I would be the district attorney in the same courthouse where my father worked.”
As a Fordham undergraduate (Class of 1986), Donnelly majored in English and minored in philosophy. Inspired by her father’s career, she seriously considered becoming a police officer. However, he would remind her of the positive impact of the attorneys in public service she witnessed as a child at the courthouse. With his encouragement, Donnelly shifted course and applied to law school.
Sadly, Patrick passed away before Anne’s law school acceptance letters rolled in. Donnelly credits her mother, Barbara Galligan, for helping her remain focused on pursuing her legal education despite her own and her family’s profound loss.
Doing the
Right Thing
After 32 years as a prosecutor in Nassau County, District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly ’89 is now leading the office with the commitments to service and to her community that have always guided her.
As a young girl, Donnelly often accompanied her father, Patrick Galligan, a court officer at the Nassau County Courthouse, to work. At her inauguration in January 2022, Donnelly said, “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine [that] one day I would be the district attorney in the same courthouse where my father worked.”
As a Fordham undergraduate (Class of 1986), Donnelly majored in English and minored in philosophy. Inspired by her father’s career, she seriously considered becoming a police officer. However, he would remind her of the positive impact of the attorneys in public service she witnessed as a child at the courthouse. With his encouragement, Donnelly shifted course and applied to law school.
Sadly, Patrick passed away before Anne’s law school acceptance letters rolled in. Donnelly credits her mother, Barbara Galligan, for helping her remain focused on pursuing her legal education despite her own and her family’s profound loss.
A More Perfect Union,
One Law at a Time
Now, in his 31st year representing the Upper West Side—and Lincoln Center—in Congress, Nadler speaks to what keeps him committed to a life of service.
By Eugene K. Chow
Nadler vividly recalled reading about a court ruling when he was 12 or 13 years old. “The police beat a confession out of somebody, and the Supreme Court upheld the decision,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘There’s a lot wrong with that, and when I get older, I’m going to fix that.’”
To right the wrongs he saw, the young Nadler believed the best way was to “get into politics and get into positions of authority.” So he set himself on a path to achieve just that. His first foray into electoral politics came when he was voted president of his senior class at Manhattan’s Stuyvesant High School. By the time he was in college, he had become a fixture within his community, leading neighborhood groups, forming block associations, and working on political campaigns.
Profiles in
Action
Michelle Chan ’15
good leader meets people where they are. That’s something I have learned through my involvement in the Fordham Law Alumni Association’s Recent Graduates Committee and our Alumni Attorneys of Color affinity group. It’s made me very aware that, because people have so many other things going on in their lives, it can be a challenge to meet our members where they are and where they need us. We really try to think about what might appeal to them so we can address what they want when we’re planning events and outreach.
There can be a big learning curve for junior associates, and that can be really stressful. Some struggle to find ways in which they can be useful when they’re still learning, which I know is really hard. But I’ve tried to let them know that, no matter how junior you are, you can still take initiative—you don’t have to wait to be asked to do stuff. Be proactive. Ask, “What can I get started on?” “What can I take ownership of?”
The way you deliver feedback matters. Even if you’re not getting the deliverables you want—which can be frustrating when you feel you gave good instructions—it’s so important to remember what it was like to still be learning and to feel so overwhelmed but want to succeed. I try hard to remember what it was like to be in someone else’s shoes.
Those Who Have Come Before
“I assumed it was an old photo album, but when I started looking through it, I saw that it contained the founding documents of Fordham Law’s BLSA,” she said.
Noticing the dates on the documents, she realized that the group’s 50th anniversary was approaching. “I couldn’t believe that we were totally unaware,” she said.
Dean John Feerick sitting at his desk
Feerick’s parents, both Irish immigrants, encouraged him from an early age to, as he recalled, “get an education and make something of myself.” For a son of the Bronx like Feerick, that meant attending Fordham College, then going on to Fordham Law, where, as editor-in-chief of the Fordham Law Review, he published an article on presidential succession. After President Kennedy’s assassination, the article led to Feerick being asked to help draft the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
With all his illustrious accomplishments, Feerick is still very much rooted in the present—and looking to the future. He meets with Fordham Law students every day, always taking care to send them out into the world a little kinder and wiser. “At my present age, talking with students about their careers, about life, sustains me,” said Feerick. “It gives me great joy that people think I can be useful and constructive.” What he hears in those conversations also gives him hope. “I’m very encouraged by our students’ enthusiasm,” he said. “We’re in very challenging times right now, but it helps to think about how you can contribute and solve problems.”
#FutureFordhamLawyers Pave Their Own Paths
Follow us for more #FutureFordhamLawyers @FordhamLawNYC
Akosua Opong-Wiredu ’23
“During my 2L year, I enrolled in the semester-long Walter Leitner International Human Rights Clinic and, as a Crowley Scholar, researched the collapse of the rule of law in Hong Kong. I was working on real, evolving, present-day issues, which culminated in a report that was submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee’s periodic review of Hong Kong’s human rights record. The classes I took and the programs I participated in last year were the perfect springboard for me to pursue my passions through a double-degree program this year in France—an opportunity that has definitely opened doors for me professionally.”
Freeing
Their
Stories
Freeing Their Stories
After a four-hour wait—an unusual occurence caused by a basketball game being filmed for an event led by a reverend in the community—the group was taken to a small room, where the legal team members crowded together on one side of the glass partition. Soon after, their client walked in on the other side of the glass, breaking into a huge, spontaneous smile. “He didn’t know us,” said Merali. “He didn’t know we were coming. He was thrilled to have so many people come to visit him.”
We invite you to watch our “Meeting the Moment” video series below and meet a few of the Fordham Law clinicians leading our students through the incredible work that prepares them for their future careers.
The Right to Housing
Litigation Clinic
Housing affordability is possibly the most significant domestic policy issue of our time. New York has long been a leader on issues of housing affordability. Norrinda Hayat, who leads the Right to Housing Litigation Clinic, is an award-winning housing advocate who joined the full-time faculty at Fordham Law in the fall (see p. 53). In this clinic, students use legal strategies to assist clients facing housing-related issues.
The Global
Anti-Racism Clinic
The Global Anti-Racism Clinic is a new joint initiative of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice and the Center on Race, Law and Justice at Fordham Law School. Spearheaded by Zenande Booi, Paolo Galizzi, Gay McDougall, and Elisabeth Wickeri, the clinic engages students in projects that aim to challenge and redress racism, global discrimination, and inequality at national, regional, and international levels.
The Entrepreneurial
Law Clinic
Entrepreneurship is growing in New York City, and Fordham Law is in the center of it all. Under the supervision of clinic director Bernice Grant, the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic provides free transactional legal services to start-ups in New York, helping turn entrepreneurs’ ideas into flourishing enterprises. The ELC helps entrepreneurs achieve ambitious business goals, build a talented workforce, and protect their budding brands.
The Family Defense and Advocacy Clinic
The Family Defense and Advocacy Clinic is a partnership between Fordham’s clinical program and the Center for Family Representation. The Center, led by director Leah Hill, is a holistic, multi-disciplinary legal services organization whose mission is to keep families together through legal representation and social work support to prevent children from entering the foster care system or minimize their time away from home.
Making History
Center on Asian Americans and the Law Launches
In the fall of 2022, Fordham Law celebrated the formal launch of its Center on Asian Americans and the Law. Co-directed by Senior U.S. Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin ’78M, Lawrence W. Pierce Distinguished Jurist in Residence, and Thomas H. Lee, Leitner Family Professor of International Law, the center is among the first in the country to focus on the intersection of the Asian American experience with legal studies. It functions as a hub and platform for interdisciplinary scholarship on issues of interest in these areas of study.
To celebrate the launch, Judge Chin and Professor Lee organized a substantive program titled “The Lost History of Asian Americans and U.S. Civil Rights Litigation: Lessons for Today.” Distinguished speakers at the event included Erika L. Moritsugu, deputy assistant and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander senior liaison to U.S. President Joe Biden; Quyen L. Ta, partner at King & Spalding; and John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
The center has many ongoing plans to further dialogue and collaborations both inside and outside the Law School, including hosting speaker panels, lectures, and reenactments; organizing research in the form of digital repositories and e-casebooks; and providing opportunities for students to get involved in its work.
First-of-its-Kind Global Anti-Racism
Clinic Launches
Fordham Law launched the Global Anti-Racism Clinic, one of the first of its kind in the country, this fall. A joint initiative of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice and the Center on Race, Law and Justice, the clinic engages students in projects that aim to challenge and redress racism, global discrimination, and inequality at the national, regional, and international levels. It is led by Zenande Booi, executive director of the Center on Race, Law and Justice; Professor Paolo Galizzi; Gay McDougall, member of the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and distinguished scholar-in-residence at both the Center on Race, Law and Justice and the Leitner Center; and Elisabeth Wickeri, executive director of the Leitner Center.
In the clinic, students work with international and regional experts on cases and projects that make efforts to combat systemic racism in a range of contexts as well as support McDougall’s work at CERD. “The goal is to become a resource for institutional mechanisms as well as for individuals, communities, and activist organizations that wish to make use of them,” said Booi. “It’s especially exciting that our students will have an opportunity to work at the center of crucial global initiatives and efforts to fight racism.”
Photo
Album
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
FACULTY ARE THE FOUNDATION
A FOCUS ON FACULTY FUNDING
aculty are the heartbeat of Fordham Law. They share ideas freely, collaborate with one another and with students on key areas of the law, and foster open academic discourse that transforms students into the legal leaders of tomorrow.
One key goal of Fordham Law’s FORWARD campaign has been to raise philanthropic support that advances faculty members’ scholarly endeavors—which, in turn, aids students in their education, research initiatives, and post-graduate experiential learning opportunities. Students have the opportunity to build their résumés and network as research assistants—not to mention maintain lifelong relationships with their mentors after graduation.
“By supporting the faculty, donors ensure that we can provide the highest-quality teaching and ensure a first-rate experience for our students both in and out of class,” said Joseph Landau, associate dean for academic affairs. “We are fortunate to have a faculty that cares deeply about good teaching.”
Class Notes
’71
’73
Peter Sachs was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by South Florida Business & Wealth (SFBW).
’96
Deirdre M. Mitacek was elevated to the partnership of Cullen and Dykman at their Albany office.
Valerie White was honored at the Habitat for Humanity NYC and Westchester County House Party on October 25.
’11
Gene Kang was named a Rising Star in Business Litigation for 2022 New Jersey Super Lawyers and awarded the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Lawyers Under 40 Award.
Ivan Sperber was promoted to special counsel at Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf.
Chi Ho (Eric) Yiu was promoted to partnership at Latham & Watkins in the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate department of their Hong Kong office.
ONLY @ FORDHAM LAW
Almost Family
hen Lauren Heather, LL.M. ’22, and Edward McLaughlin ’22 logged into Zoom for a special getting-to-know-you session of their Information Law class in the spring of 2021, the two students were barely acquaintances—they had never even talked. Professor Olivier Sylvain hoped to remedy the distance of remote learning and help his students bond by asking everyone in the class to present something to “show-and-tell.” Heather decided to bring some law-related notes on privacy and libel written by her great-grandfather John T. Loughran ’11, who had been chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals from 1945 to 1953.
As soon as Heather began speaking, McLaughlin’s ears perked up. “I remember Lauren telling us that her great-grandfather had held this position and graduated from Fordham Law in 1911, and I got confused—I thought, ‘Wait, are the two of us related?!” laughed McLaughlin, now a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Claire Eagan of the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Fordham Law | Giving Day April 17, 2023
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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
Fordham’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law, believed to be a first-of-its-kind institution, will function as a hub and platform for interdisciplinary scholarship on issues of interest not just to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community but to all Americans and people everywhere.