Fordham seal

Fordham
Law
School

For Our Profession, Society, and World
Viewbook 2024–2025

Curious, creative, and committed to the craft of law.

Those words describe the people you’ll meet at Fordham Law School. Our faculty and students are dedicated to excellence and ethics and are engaged with what’s happening in the real world, whether transacting deals for clients in multinational corporate boardrooms, dispensing justice on the benches of courtrooms, or fighting for underserved communities in the heart of New York City. Our education is grounded in enduring legal principles but always open to emerging theories, techniques, and technologies. Historically, Fordham Law has opened its doors to people not welcome at other law schools due to their religion, gender, race, or class. Today, we build on this legacy by working to create a learning environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive to students of all backgrounds, religions, and orientations. We’re creating a community of compassionate and highly capable lawyers who have a larger goal in mind: to make a difference for our profession, society, and world.

From the
Classroom
to the
World Beyond

Located in the heart of New York City, Fordham Law is a vibrant, collaborative, and diverse community of dedicated teachers and engaged, hands-on students who are working together to master the law, understand its role in advancing justice, and make sure that justice is accessible to all. Our approach to legal education is grounded in the craft of law. We always stay abreast of new approaches and technologies and their impact on the legal field in a rapidly changing world. Whether in the classroom or in our clinics, you will absorb the expertise of a faculty committed to educating the next generation of eminently capable, collaborative, service-minded, and client-centered lawyers.
digital illustration of window with blinds open showing view of city
Where Critical Thinking Meets Creativity

A Curriculum That Gets You Where You Want to Go

Top-notch professional skills. A deep appreciation for law’s foundations. Experiential learning. A chance to dip into tech-related legal issues as they unfold in real time. At Fordham, you’ll get the opportunity to focus your interests, spark new ones, and master the tools you’ll need to succeed, wherever and however you dream of practicing law.
Female student in class taking notes

Degree Programs

Juris Doctor

Full-time Day (3 years)

Part-time Evening (4 years)

Total credits in either program:
At least 83, including required courses in foundational areas, upper-level writing, experiential, and elective courses

Dual-Degree Programs

J.D./M.B.A.

J.D./M.S.W.

J.D./M.A. in International Political Economy and Development

Non-J.D. Programs

Master of Laws (LL.M.)
Banking, Corporate, and Finance Law

Corporate Compliance

Fashion Law

Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law

International Business and Trade Law

International Dispute Resolution

International Law and Justice

Real Estate

U.S. Law

Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.)
Corporate Compliance

Fashion Law

Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.)
Fordham University Entrance
Required J.D. Courses (First-Year Day Program & Second-Year Evening Program)
  • Civil Procedure (4 or 5 credits)*
  • Constitutional Law (4)
  • Contracts (4 or 5)*
  • Criminal Law (3)
  • Legal Process & Quantitative Methods (1)
  • Legal Writing & Research (3)
  • Legislation & Regulation (4)
  • Property (4 or 5)*
  • Torts (4 or 5)*
*One-credit variable indicates intensive writing course.
Upper-Level J.D. Requirements
  • Corporations
  • Professional Responsibility
  • Experiential Credits (6)
  • Writing Requirement (prior to last semester)

Courses

Your interests, your future. At Fordham Law, you can select from nearly 300 elective courses that will help you discover your legal interests while developing expertise in specific legal areas.
Fordham University of Law Staircase

Concentrations

Are you drawn toward certain areas of law? Fordham offers students the (optional) opportunity to focus more intensely on particular types of lawyering. The benefits? You can get to know a practice area more deeply and, just as important, the Fordham faculty who specialize in that area. While you may or may not choose to list your concentration on your transcript, it can be a way to stand out to prospective employers. You can select one or more concentrations from among the following five:

Business and Financial Law

Whether you want to work at a law firm or go in-house, this concentration will teach you the fundamentals needed to solve the business world’s most complex problems. Learn how laws governing business and finance impact the organization and operation of business, from small, locally owned enterprises to large global corporations.

Intellectual Property and Information Law

Obtain a solid, substantive grounding in both intellectual property and information law, and gain an understanding of how these fields shape the way art, inventions, and information are protected and transferred. Learn how to protect client interests in areas as diverse as law enforcement, print journalism, pharmaceuticals, and the arts.

International, Comparative, and Foreign Law

In a globalized, interdependent world, you need a similarly comprehensive view of the law. This concentration, integrating three subfields of law, provides you pathways for legal practice in multilateral institutions, government agencies, NGOs, law firms, and private sector work involving international and transnational law.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

This concentration will provide you with the firm foundation needed to become a skilled litigator and creative problem solver. You will obtain the skills necessary to expertly resolve disputes both in and out of the courtroom.

Public Interest and Service

Live Fordham Law’s motto, “In the Service of Others,” and discover a rewarding career path. This concentration prepares you to fight injustice and to help empower and advocate for disenfranchised individuals and communities. Relevant coursework will give you a solid base of knowledge in the field that shows employers you’re ready for a host of public interest positions or important careers in government.

The House System: Making a Big Law School Feel a Little Smaller vector digital illustration logo

The House System: Making a Big Law School Feel a Little Smaller

From the first day you arrive at Fordham Law, you will join one of five “houses.” Each is part of our House System—an innovative program we have developed to create a smaller, more intimate community within the Law School.

Each house is assigned a faculty leader and designated liaisons to our Career Planning Center, Public Interest Resource Center, Student Affairs Office, and Library. Your house will also have access to alumni mentors and upper-year student advisors, so it’s a great way to forge connections with the greater Fordham Law community.

Student relaxing on chair at Fordham University
#2

Study Law on Your Time

Fordham’s evening program is #2 in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 ranking of law schools, making it the top-ranked part-time J.D. program in New York. The program gives working professionals and people with family obligations the opportunity to earn a law degree through a flexible program where classes are available in the evening, in condensed form, on weekends, and online.

Students gathered around at a table with textbooks and chatting amongst each other at Fordham University

Evening Program: Study Law, Flexibly

You’re busy: with life, work, and family. We understand. For more than a century Fordham has offered a top-ranked evening program that has made it possible for students to keep their day jobs and still have a rich law school experience. In recent years, a working pathologist, a 10-year army veteran, an entrepreneur, an actor, and a housing rights advocate have all enrolled part-time. Like these students, you’ll be able to complete your degree in eight semesters while attending classes Monday through Thursday (and on optional Saturdays). One day per week is remote (either synchronous or asynchronous), so you only need to be on campus three days a week. We also offer condensed, 7-week classes; hybrid courses that offer alternating in-person and online instruction; and a 2-week January term with 1- and 2-credit classes on evenings and weekends. In keeping with the superb academic program and immersive, experiential learning that Fordham is known for, all part-time students will have the chance to participate in the Law School’s activities and groups—from our prestigious journals and championship moot court teams to student government, hands-on clinics, and networking events. Like full-time day students, evening students can also choose from among the same electives, opting to concentrate on one or more areas of the law. And of course, you’ll have access to Fordham’s renowned faculty and services, on your schedule.
A man browses on his laptop at a table in a student lounge area at Fordham University
2k

The Maloney Library

Each year, librarians at the Maloney Library’s Reference Desk answer more than 2,000 research questions. Successful law students know that the library is the place to go to consult with legal information professionals committed to helping them do their best work.

Legal Research/Boundless Resources

The 70,000-square-foot Maloney Library, located on the 5th and 6th floors of the Law School building, is a place for study, instruction, collaboration, and connection. The library boasts over 650 study spaces, including carrels, tables, comfortable lounge chairs, and study rooms. You can also fuel up at the library’s Cronin Café. Maloney librarians, including eight legal information experts with J.D. degrees, will help you find the information resources you need to succeed in today’s legal environment. The library’s technology initiative, “LawTech@Maloney Library,” will help prepare you for the increasingly technological practice of law, with hands-on training to master the latest tools for e-discovery, docket analytics, case management, AI-enhanced legal research, automated document creation, and cybersecurity. Librarians offer courses in law practice technology as well as popular advanced legal research classes. In addition, the library connects you with thousands of online journals, e-books, and full-text databases and puts at your fingertips a collection of more than 436,000 books and other documents.

With soaring windows overlooking the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Maloney Library elevates your learning and scholarship while grounding you in the life of New York City.

Help Change
Laws—
and Change
Lives

Almost as soon as you arrive at Fordham Law, you’ll get to work—doing real lawyering and helping clients. The school’s nonprofit law firm and its Feerick and Leitner Centers, on the building’s 9th and 7th floors, respectively, give students the opportunity to change laws, and change lives. Write for one of Fordham Law’s six student journals and shape current legal thinking. Contribute in New York City, across the country, and overseas, proving yourself as a thinker, speaker, and doer. Work and study in local, national, and international classrooms, courts, clinics, and corporations as you see what you’re capable of and shape your vision of your career. You’ll graduate as a lawyer who is not just ready for work, but adept at being a changemaker in New York City and beyond.
spinning the world on a pen

Clinics: Work to Build Lasting Relationships

You need superb skills to solve legal problems in the working world. Fordham Law’s 17 clinical practice areas and project-based learning experiences will provide you with the experience you need to find creative and meaningful solutions to today’s complex legal problems. Whichever clinics you choose, you’ll play an important role in resolving cases while gaining a more complete understanding of and appreciation for the law. Working alongside clinical professors offers a remarkable opportunity to experience what it’s like to have your own clients as you forge outcomes that matter.

Clinics

  • Community and Economic Development
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Criminal Defense
  • Entrepreneurial Law
  • Family Defense and Advocacy
  • Federal Litigation
  • Federal Tax
  • Global Anti-Racism
  • Housing and Environmental Litigation
  • Immigrant Policy and Advocacy
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • International Cooperation and Justice
  • International Human Rights
  • Legislative and Policy Advocacy
  • Mediation
  • Rule of Law
  • Securities Litigation and Arbitration

Externships: The City as Classroom

Once you’ve become familiar with the classroom, the library, and your peers and professors, get acquainted with Fordham’s most vibrant learning environment: New York City and the surrounding metro area. The Law School’s externship program allows students to take advantage of an impressive collection of opportunities across the Big Apple—from Advocates for Children of New York to the neighboring Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to the judicial halls of New York—and the world beyond.

Sample of externship placements

  • Advocates for Children of New York
  • American Civil Liberties Union
  • Christie’s
  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
  • Housing Conservation Coordinators
  • Legal Services NYC
  • Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
  • New York City Council
  • New York City Law Department
  • New York City Office of Technology and Innovation
  • New York District Attorneys’ Offices
  • New York Legal Assistance Group
  • New York State and Local Courts
  • New York State Attorney General’s Office
  • Red Bull New York, Inc.
  • Sanctuary for Families
  • Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
  • Tapestry, Inc.
  • The Legal Aid Society
  • Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
  • United States Attorney’s Office: Civil and Criminal Divisions
  • United States District Courts and Circuit Courts of Appeals
  • United States Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

Student Journals:
Pressing Influence

Fordham’s six student-edited journals are your opportunity to shape legal scholarship. Enrich your academic experience by writing for one or joining an editorial board. You’ll gain exposure to timely legal issues involving the economy, business and finance, the media, the environment, and international affairs.
Articles in the Fordham Law Review, our oldest scholarly journal, have frequently been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. In its landmark 2009 decision on the constitutionality of lethal injection, Baze v. Rees, 553 U.S. 35, the U.S. Supreme Court, three times, cited Professor Deborah Denno’s groundbreaking 2007 Fordham Law Review article, The Lethal Injection Quandary: How Medicine Has Dismantled the Death Penalty. The Law Review is the 4th-most-cited student-edited law journal in judicial opinions overall. It publishes around 75 articles each year.

law.fordham.edu/lawreview

The Fordham International Law Journal is ranked 9th in the nation and is the 4th-most-cited by other international law journals. It publishes six books annually, including one devoted to European Union law.

law.fordham.edu/ilj

Among civil rights and social justice journals, the Fordham Urban Law Journal ranks 4th in the nation overall and is the 2nd-most-cited by other journals in its field and the 3rd-most-cited by judges. Since 1980, the Harvard Law Review has cited it nearly 100 times.

law.fordham.edu/ulj

The 1st-ranked Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal serves as a leading source in media law, First Amendment rights, and entertainment and sports law. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stevens cited two separate articles from the Journal in his concurrence in Bilski v. Kappos, 561 U.S. 593, a case outlining the patent eligibility of a process such as an investment strategy. The Journal publishes scholarly articles connected with intellectual property law, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and Internet law.

law.fordham.edu/iplj

The Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law is the most-cited banking and finance journal by other journals, and the 8th-most-cited by judges, and it ranks 2nd among student-edited journals.”

law.fordham.edu/jcfl

The Fordham Environmental Law Review, the 10th-most-cited student-edited environmental journal by other journals, addresses domestic and international environmental issues ranging from regulation of air, water, and soil pollution to environmental racism.

law.fordham.edu/elr

Statistics compiled by the Maloney Library in 2024
Fordham Law Review book
six Fordham Law female students posing for a picture together

Women Sweep the Slate as Journal Editors-in-Chief

In 2021–22, a cohort of 3L women led all six Fordham Law journals as editors-in-chief.

Student Teams: Competition Builds Lawyering Skills

Our student teams routinely shine in regional, national, and international competitions. More important, students hone the practical, think-on-your-feet skills that lawyers need.

The cases argued in the Moot Court program may be simulated, but the success of the program’s team members is real. Participants sharpen their advocacy skills as writers and oralists. Recent successes include national championships, national finalists, regional championships, and best brief and best speaker honors.

law.fordham.edu/mootcourt

The Brendan Moore Trial Advocates, Fordham Law’s trial advocacy program, consistently produces great results against other law schools in national and regional mock trial competitions. Ranked 4th in the country by U.S. News & World Report in 2024, it refines students’ abilities to apply facts to legal problems, advocate persuasively, and understand and apply the rules of evidence. Awards include multiple regional and national competition championships as well as individual awards, including the best opening statement, best closing argument, and best overall advocate—victories that have helped students land jobs as public defenders, in New York–area district attorneys’ offices, and in private practice as litigators.

law.fordham.edu/mooreadvocates

Fordham’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program develops creative thinkers skilled in expertly resolving disputes outside the courtroom. Student teams from the program’s Dispute Resolution Society (DRS) perform at high-level national and international competitions. Fordham’s Conflict Resolution & ADR Program ranked #15 in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Law School specialty rankings. Recent DRS awards include: first place in the ABA Regional Rounds of the Negotiation Competition, second place in the Judith Kaye Annual Arbitration Competition, first place and second place in the ABA arbitration competitions, second place for all mediators in the CPR Mediation Competition, first place in the Vis International Arbitration in Hong Kong, and the award for Best Speaker at the VIS International Arbitration Competition in Hong Kong. Other recent awards include the Public Speaking Distinction prize at the ICC Mediation competition in Paris and the Best Attorney Client Pair prize at the INADR competition in Chicago. The DRS also sponsors a pre-VIS Moot Court Competition in February that welcomes hundreds of arbitrators and law student participants from all over the world.

law.fordham.edu/adr

female Fordham student practicing law
#4

The Power of Advocacy

Fordham Law’s trial advocacy program is ranked #4 in the country, according to the 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s annual law school rankings.

Four student lawyers (one male and three females) in business attire proudly holding a trophy, celebrating their achievement together as they smile for a group photo together
group of Fordham law students posing for a picture together
group of Fordham law students posing for a picture together
three Fordham law students standing together with a trophy
five Fordham law students standing together with trophies
law students posing together for a picture in a court room
Student teams have prevailed in competitions across the nation—and the world.

International Opportunities

A Global Network

Fordham Law’s international programs put students face-to-face with grassroots partners in the United States and across the globe to work on real-world human rights programs. Students engage with global companies, collaborate with governmental agencies, participate in extensive human rights initiatives, and learn from distinguished foreign professors through study abroad programs from Dublin to Shanghai. Along the way, they garner internships and externships with multinational corporations, law firms, courts, government offices, and human rights organizations.

By the Numbers

Our stats speak volumes, whether it’s the number of our graduates hired by top-tier law firms, the student publications cited by the U.S. Supreme Court, or the competitions won by our student teams in moot court and dispute resolution contests around the nation and the world.
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Top 30

Specialty Areas

In its 2024 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools, U.S. News & World Report ranked a number of Fordham Law programs among the top 30 in the country.

Living Out the Law

We believe that the kind of person you aspire to be is just as important as what you do. That’s why we infuse our legal education with a sense of community—both within Fordham and in the world beyond. From their first week of law school, Fordham Law students can devote their passions, interests, and skills to pro bono work for real clients, public service, and making the community a better place to live and work. We value the study of ethics and we also value service—it’s in our DNA. We teach our students to live what they learn.
line drawing of a stack of books next to a cup of coffee and small ladder
Public Service, Personal Satisfaction, a World-Changing Impact

Make a Difference from Day One

Through the important work of our centers, institutes, and student organizations, we foster our students’ passionate interests in social justice, access to justice for underserved populations, and serving the public interest. “In the service of others” is Fordham Law’s motto. We offer a legal education experience that is more meaningful and, as a result, more satisfying, whatever students go on to do.
student inside the Fordham Law School Public Interest Resource Center

Sponsored Summer Fellowships

In 2024, Fordham Law School awarded over $626,000 in public interest summer fellowships, making it possible for students to work for various government and nonprofit organizations.

Sponsored Summer Fellowships

In 2024, Fordham Law School awarded over $626,000 in public interest summer fellowships, making it possible for students to work for various government and nonprofit organizations.

line drawing of a piggy bank with coin

Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC)

At Fordham Law, public service is a tradition and a guiding force. Join the nearly 500 students who participate annually in the pro bono initiatives and public service projects of the Public Interest Resource Center.

With approximately 20 PIRC student organizations to choose from, you’ll be able to find a cause that sparks your passion, satisfies your interests, and hones your legal skills. The Class of 2024 participated in almost 168,741 hours of public service work during their time at Fordham. From your first week on, it’s possible to join—or form—a group and work for a cause that’s close to your heart.

law.fordham.edu/pirc

PIRC Student Groups

  • Advocates for the Incarcerated
  • Artist Representation Society
  • Consumer Law Advocates
  • Domestic Violence Action Center
  • Education Law Collaborative
  • Environmental Law Advocates
  • Fordham Law Advocates for Voter Rights
  • Fordham Law Defenders
  • Fordham Law Student Veterans Association
  • Fordham National Lawyers Guild
  • Housing Advocacy Project
  • If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice
  • Immigration Advocacy Project
  • International Refugee Assistance Project
  • Mentoring Youth Through Legal Education
  • Stein Scholars
  • Student Animal Legal Defense Fund
  • Suspension Representation Project
  • Unemployment Action Center
  • Workers’ Rights Advocates

Stein Scholars Program

If you want to learn from your peers, be part of a public interest–oriented community, and pursue common goals of service and advocacy in furtherance of social justice, then you’ll want to become a Stein Scholar in Public Interest Law and Ethics. This honors program is application-based, spans the entirety of your law school career, and aims to prepare you for a career in public interest practice.

The nationally recognized program combines academic requirements—coursework focusing on public interest law and legal ethics—with experiential opportunities to help you develop and enhance your leadership and communication skills.

During your first summer as a Stein Scholar, you are guaranteed a stipend to work with a public interest organization, an opportunity that is available your second summer as well. During your upper-class years, you enroll in seminars that challenge you to think critically about the role of lawyers in society and you learn how to be a public interest lawyer by doing the work of a public interest lawyer through one of the law school clinics. Perhaps most important, you will join a community of diverse leaders who support each other throughout their careers as they pursue work as public defenders, community lawyers, human rights advocates, government lawyers, and grassroots activists.

law.fordham.edu/steinscholars

Pro Bono Scholars

Through this program, you have the opportunity to devote your last law school semester to pro bono legal work on behalf of low-income and indigent people. Working with one of Fordham’s clinics or a select legal services provider, you will receive vital, real-life legal practice while also learning the importance of serving clients with limited means.

While you help others, you’ll also be helping yourself get a jump-start on your legal career, as the program allows you to take the New York Bar Exam early: in February of your final year of study. Once you pass, you’ll be admitted to practice right after graduation.

Centers, Institutes, and Programs

Whether advancing scholarship on critical legal issues, providing hands-on training for future lawyers, or delivering much-needed legal advice to the vulnerable and underrepresented, our centers and institutes make a real difference. Get involved with one or more of them: Learn about the law of the fashion industry, dive into privacy controversies born of the internet age, work for social justice, craft legal responses to racial and gender inequality in our society, wrestle with thorny IP topics as they evolve in real time, draft reports on vital national security issues, dive into corporate law matters, and/or become a human rights advocate.

Brendan Moore Trial Advocacy Center

Offering students hands-on training, Fordham Law’s trial advocacy program is ranked 4th in the country in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Teams of students participate in civil and criminal trial competitions at regional and national levels.

Center for Judicial Events & Clerkships

The CJEC’s mission is to find new and innovative ways to involve members of the judiciary in the life of Fordham Law and to build upon our successes by enhancing the existing clerkship support for our students and alumni.

Center of European Union Law

A teaching and resource center devoted to European law, the European Union, and international antitrust law, the center facilitates the exchange of ideas and information among foreign officials and scholars and their U.S. counterparts.

Center on Asian Americans and the 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—not only to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, but to all Americans.

Center on Law and Information Policy

The Center on Law and Information Policy makes significant contributions to the development of law and policy for the information economy and prepares the next generation of leaders to address the fast-changing issues at the intersection of law and technology.

Center on National Security

A nonpartisan law and policy think tank, the Center on National Security is dedicated to providing thought leaders, policy makers, and the public with the tools to better understand today’s national security issues.

Center on Race, Law and Justice

The Center on Race, Law and Justice generates innovative responses to racial inequality and discrimination by prioritizing law, data, and social science–informed interventions that create concrete change in communities, institutions, and public policy.

Competition Law Institute

Now in its 51st year, the Fordham Competition Law Institute provides internationally recognized programs on antitrust law, such as its annual International Antitrust Law and Policy Conference, widely recognized as one of the premier events in the field.

Conflict Resolution and ADR Program

Offering unique opportunities for study in the field of alternative dispute resolution through renowned clinics and courses taught by leading academics, the Conflict Resolution and ADR Program is ranked 13th in the country in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings. The program balances theory and casework with a valuable practicum. Students also teach ADR and mediation skills in the NYC community.

Corporate Law Center

The Fordham Corporate Law Center brings together scholars, professionals, policy makers, and students for the discussion and study of business and financial law.

Fashion Law Institute

The world’s first center dedicated to law and the business of fashion, the Institute offers training for the fashion lawyers and designers of the future.

Feerick Center for Social Justice

The Feerick Center addresses the problems faced by marginalized and low-income people, creating strategies that reform policies, educate the public, and help redress injustice.

Institute on Religion, Law and Lawyer’s Work

Through its courses, interfaith programs, panels, and mentorship, the Institute encourages open, positive, and constructive dialogue on issues relating to religion and law.

Intellectual Property Institute

The Intellectual Property Institute develops new IP initiatives and projects and holds the annual Intellectual Property Law and Policy Conference, known as “the Davos of IP,” to foster progress toward identifying and resolving issues of concern to the IP community.

Leitner Center for International Law and Justice

One of the oldest and largest law school–based human rights programs, the Leitner Center provides hands-on education and real-world training to law students and contributes to critical research among legal scholars in international human rights.

National Center for Access to Justice

The Center uses cutting-edge data analytics to support reforms that create a meaningful opportunity for all people to be heard and to secure their rights.

Neuroscience and Law Center

The Fordham Neuroscience and Law Center takes an evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach to examining the current and potential uses of neuroscience evidence in the legal system.

Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC)

The hub of public interest, PIRC offers programming and individualized career counseling for students drawn to public interest law. PIRC is the place where you can join and form student-run groups that channel passions, interests, and skills into pro bono, public service, and community service work.

Scott Simpson Cross-Border Institute

Fordham Law and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom co-founded the Scott Simpson Cross-Border Institute in 2023. Conceptualized by the late Scott Simpson, global head of Skadden’s transactions practices, it unites leading law firms, practitioners, academics, and students around the world to assess cross-border trends, analyze issues, and drive innovation and best practices.

Stein Center for Law and Ethics

The Stein Center examines the important role that lawyers play in our society, explores the ways ethical values inform and improve the legal profession, and inculcates service to others into teaching law, improving the legal profession in the process.

Tanen Leadership Center

The Tanen Leadership Center cultivates students’ professional skills and offers leadership training so that they can become future leaders in law and business. The Center supports programming in the areas of professionalism, the House System, student affairs, legal writing, fundamental lawyering skills, career planning, and diversity initiatives.

Urban Law Center

Through the Urban Law Center, students participate in advancing the scholarship and interdisciplinary practice of the legal, governance, and regulatory aspects of urban law, helping to craft solutions to the crucial issues facing cities today.

Student Services and Organizations
While law school can be challenging, the Office of Student Affairs offers many programs designed to ensure that your time at Fordham is successful, happy, and healthy.

During your first year of law school, your schedule will contain special blocks of time for programming around career development; professionalism; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and well-being. In our legal skills workshops, for instance, you will learn to read and brief cases, manage your responsibilities and time efficiently, and effectively take law school exams. In addition, all first-years are assigned an upper-level mentor from the Board of Student Advisors who will provide guidance and assist with your transition to being an attorney-in-training. The Office of Student Affairs also provides personal counseling.

If you are a law student with a documented disability, the office will provide support and reasonable accommodations. Additionally, during your upper-division years, we offer several programs designed to ensure that you pass the bar exam on your first attempt.

To foster the importance of the law school–life balance, the Office of Student Affairs works closely with student organizations and offers regular programming and social gatherings for the law school community.

Fordham Law Student Organizations

  • Advocates for the Incarcerated
  • Advocates for Trans* Law Students
  • American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
  • Artist Representation Society
  • Asian Pacific American Law Students Association
  • Black Law Students Association
  • Brendan Moore Trial Advocacy
  • Consumer Law Advocates
  • Disabled and Allied Law Student Association
  • Dispute Resolution Society
  • Domestic Violence Action Center
  • Entrepreneur Law Society
  • Environmental Law Advocates
  • Fashion Law Society
  • Fordham Art Law Society
  • Fordham Blockchain Law Society
  • Fordham Business and Law Association
  • Fordham Cannabis Law Association
  • Fordham Christian Fellowship
  • Fordham Environmental Law Review
  • Fordham Evening Division Society
  • Fordham Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies
  • Fordham First Generation Students
  • Fordham Follies
  • Fordham Information Law Society
  • Fordham Intellectual Property Law Society
  • Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal
  • Fordham International Law Association
  • Fordham International Law Journal
  • Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law
  • Fordham Labor and Employment Law Society
  • Fordham Law Advocates for Voter Rights
  • Fordham Law Basketball
  • Fordham Law Defenders
  • Fordham Law Moot Court
  • Fordham Law Real Estate Society
  • Fordham Law Review
  • Fordham Law Soccer Club
  • Fordham Law Softball
  • Fordham Law Sports Forum
  • Fordham Law Student Veterans Association
  • Fordham Law Women
  • Fordham National Lawyers Guild
  • Fordham Non-Traditional Law Student Association
  • Fordham Urban Law Journal
  • Fordham Voting Rights and Democracy Project
  • Fordham Womxn of Color Collective
  • Hellenic Law Students Association
  • Housing Advocacy Project
  • If/When/How Lawyering for Reproductive Justice
  • Immigration Advocacy Project
  • International Refugee Assistance Project
  • Irish Law Students Association
  • Italian-American Law Students Association
  • Jewish Law Students Association
  • Latin American Law Students Association
  • Legal Mandarin Society
  • Media and Entertainment Law Society
  • Mentoring Youth Through Legal Education
  • Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association
  • Muslim Law Students Association
  • OUTLaws
  • People’s Parity Project
  • Public Interest Resource Center
  • Society for Renewable and Green Energy
  • South Asian Law Students Association
  • Stein Scholars
  • Student Animal Legal Defense Fund of Fordham Law School
  • Student Bar Association
  • Suspension Representation Project
  • Tax Law Society
  • Test Student Group
  • Unemployment Action Center
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Center for Judicial Events & Clerkships

Launched in 2019, the Center for Judicial Events & Clerkships (CJEC) has a dual mission:

  1. Judicial Engagement: finding new and innovative ways to engage members of the judiciary in the life of our Law School
  2. Clerkships: building upon our clerkship successes by enhancing the existing clerkship support for our students and alumni

Throughout the academic year, the CJEC partners with other centers, faculty, and student organizations to host events with judges. These engagements enable students to gain firsthand exposure to federal and state court judges and the judicial process in both formal and informal settings.

Distinguished Jurist in Residence Lecture: Our Jurist in Residence Program brings prominent judges from across the country to the Law School to interact with our Law School community and share their expertise. During the course of their visit, judges engage in all aspects of Law School life, from co-teaching courses to hosting roundtable discussions with students and meeting informally with faculty. The Jurist’s visit culminates with a lecture to the entire Law School community —faculty, students and alumni—on a timely and important legal topic.

Judicial Day in Residence: Our Judicial Day in Residence Program welcomes multiple judges from a single local court to the Law School for a day in residence. The visiting jurists co-teach courses, attend an informal lunch with students, and actively participate in a town hall we host discussing the court’s work followed by a reception with the Law School community.

First to the Bench: Each year, we welcome a prominent member of the judiciary to the Law School who is either the first in their family to attend college or professional school or immigrated to this country. This “first generation” judge then discusses their path to the bench in a session aimed at our self-identified first-generation students and alumni. At the conclusion of the Fireside Chat, we host a reception welcoming back our alumni clerks who are first-generation to meet and mingle with our current students to forge relationships.

View from Chambers: The series is designed to shine a spotlight on a diverse slate of judges from a range of courts at the federal and state levels. At each View from Chambers, the participating judge(s) provide unique insights into the work of their courts (such as duties and powers), emerging topics of interest, and the role of judges and clerks in those courts, as well as the path to becoming a judge in that court.

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Judicial Day in Residence featuring judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Judge Maria Araujo Kahn ’89 and Judge Denny Chin ’78 sitting at table with microphones
First to the Bench event with Judge Maria Araujo Kahn ’89 and Judge Denny Chin ’78.

Clerkship Program: Law from Behind the Bench

A judicial clerkship is a prestigious full-time position, highly sought by law students either immediately upon graduation or at a later point in their legal career.

Clerkships, typically one or two years in duration, enable graduates to work alongside a federal or state court judge, or as part of a pool of clerks supporting the work of a particular court. The experience offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe and engage with the inner workings of the judicial process, while also honing legal research and writing skills under the supervision of a future lifelong mentor—the judge.

The CJEC, working collaboratively with the Faculty Clerkship Committee, provides students and alumni with a comprehensive support structure—including strategic counseling, feedback and guidance on application materials, proprietary clerkship resources and guides, programs and workshops, and interview preparation—to help our clerkship applicants stand out.

women walking in front of District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Clerkship Outcomes

Members of the J.D. Class of 2024 have secured 26 clerkships at the federal and state court levels, including 3 on federal circuit courts of appeals. Over the course of the 2024–2025 term, we will have more than 85 of our alumni serving as clerks in the federal and state courts at varying levels.

Over the past five years, our clerks spanned the nation, serving on the federal circuit courts for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 10th; federal district courts in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Guam, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia; U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Immigration Court, U.S. Tax Court; and on state courts in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.

Who We
Know Is
Who You’ll
Know

At Fordham Law, our network is deep and wide. People in our sphere make things happen—from judges administering justice, to big law partners advocating for clients; from lawyers crusading for the underserved, to entrepreneurs cultivating businesses. We nurture long-term relationships and support the members of our Fordham family throughout the journey.
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Meet the
Fordham Family

From Academics to Activists and Everything in Between

Because we know many of the most influential professionals, legal and otherwise, from New York City to the far-flung corners of the planet, you will get to know them too. Together you will share ideas, learning opportunities, and job placements, gaining a clear competitive advantage that will sustain you throughout your legal career.

Get the Career
You Want:
The Network
Effect

Our proactive, systematic approach to career planning helps you maximize career options, clarify your personal interests and passions, and reach your career goals, whether right out of Fordham Law or 10 years down the line. We provide lifelong career development assistance, including professional development programs, and job search strategies.
The Network Effect
Find Your Future

Your Career Starts Here

All Fordham Law graduates are linked into our dynamic professional and alumni web of experienced attorneys, from New York City to Nairobi. These are people who have walked in your shoes—and they will invite you into their offices and courtrooms, talk to you about your career, and help you to go the distance.

Your Fordham Law degree is your gateway. To an exciting career. To a life of service. To melding your personal aspirations with your professional interests so you can shape the legal career that’s right for you. Our coordinated career support centers can help you define your professional path, develop faculty connections, and tap into Fordham Law’s alumni network.

Whether you want to lead in the law, business, politics, finance, government, public interest, academia, or another field, your Fordham Law education will help you get there, every step of the way.

Career Planning

Career planning should be about more than finding a job. It should be about making a choice that inspires you.

Career Planning Center (CPC) counselors will work with you and provide the advice, support, resources, guidance, and tools you need to help:

  • Determine your career path
  • Explore opportunities
  • Connect with employers
  • Showcase your best professional self in the job search
The single most important function of the CPC office is counseling. All career counselors are former practicing attorneys who were involved in recruiting at their prior employers or were recruiters in the legal area previously.

During your first year at Fordham, you will have blocks of time integrated into your schedule devoted to programming around career development and professionalism.

All students will benefit from the CPC’s Professional Development Handbook, which will guide you in its integrated approach to career development while you’re in law school and beyond. CPC also assists in career exploration and offers skills-based programming, small-group summer legal job search strategy sessions, a mock interview program, and more.

Man and woman in business wear walking down courthouse steps

Public Interest Career Support

Service is part of Fordham Law School’s DNA, and it’s im­bued in every aspect of the Law School experience. Whether you want to pursue a career path in public service at a nonprofit, an NGO, or a government agency—or you simply want to make a difference by doing pro bono work—Fordham Law offers an abundance of support. Your journey begins with one-on-one counseling from the Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) and the CPC. You can then explore paths and navigate the public service job search through our interconnected resources, including meeting attorneys in public service. Often, they are Fordham Law alumni, and you’ll work alongside them to help real clients.
Fordham Law has a vast array of options to do critical work, regardless of your post-graduate objectives. You can advocate on behalf of directly impacted clients to preserve what’s essential, including their liberty, home, family, job, education, immigration status, or access to resources. You can fight to change legislation and experience firsthand what commitment, knowledge, and the right resources can accomplish. No matter the approach, you’ll have the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on the lives of individuals and be an agent for change.

The PIRC-sponsored student groups, the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, the Center on Race, Law and Justice, the Access to Justice Initiative, and the Feerick Center for Social Justice represent just a few of the entry points for Fordham Law students who want to make a difference.

Fellowships

Public Interest Fellowships

Year after year, Fordham Law students receive prestigious fellowships that give them crucial experience at the beginning of their careers in public interest law. Below is a selection of the many post-graduate fellowships our students have received:

New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship

Defender Services Non-Capital Diversity Fellowship

Municipal Art Society of New York’s 2024–2026 Ralph C. Menapace Fellow

Immigrant Justice Corps

The Carey Gabay Fellowship, NYS Executive Chambers

Skadden Foundation Fellowship

Department of Justice (DOJ) Honors Program

E. Barrett Prettyman/Stuart Stiller Fellow

Civil Rights Fellow, National Education Association

Equal Justice Works

Justice Catalyst

Public Rights Project Fellowship, Boulder County DA’s Office

Fellowships
Public Interest Fellowships

Year after year, Fordham Law students receive prestigious fellowships that give them crucial experience at the beginning of their careers in public interest law. Below is a selection of the many post-graduate fellowships our students have received:

New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship

Defender Services Non-Capital Diversity Fellowship

Municipal Art Society of New York’s 2024–2026 Ralph C. Menapace Fellow

Immigrant Justice Corps

The Carey Gabay Fellowship, NYS Executive Chambers

Skadden Foundation Fellowship

Department of Justice (DOJ) Honors Program

E. Barrett Prettyman/Stuart Stiller Fellow

Civil Rights Fellow, National Education Association

Equal Justice Works

Justice Catalyst

Public Rights Project Fellowship, Boulder County DA’s Office

Recruiting and Networking

Through the CPC’s and PIRC’s many programs, you will be able to learn about employers, meet with their representatives, learn about their hiring needs, and apply for open positions. Many of these services will continue to be available to you after graduation as part of the comprehensive career planning services provided to our alumni.

On-Campus Recruiting

Each year, a wide variety of legal employers participate in our On-Campus Interview programs to recruit Fordham Law students—large law firms like Cravath, Kirkland & Ellis, Quinn Emanuel, and Paul Weiss; smaller or boutique law firms like Pryor Cashman and Selendy Gay; in-house legal departments at organizations like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Eldridge Industries; government agencies, including local district attorneys’ offices; and public interest organizations like Brooklyn Defenders and Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A.

Visit law.fordham.edu/employmentstats for more information.

Career Fairs

If you are interested in a career in public service or public interest work, the Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) coordinates Fordham Law’s participation in two of the largest public service career fairs in the country: the Equal Justice Works Career Fair in Washington, D.C., and the Public Interest Legal Career Fair in New York City.

Employer Receptions

Early in the spring semester, the CPC hosts a pair of receptions to introduce first-year students to over 60 employers that participate in our Fall OCI program. In this relaxed setting, you will be able to meet and connect with attorneys and recruiting personnel—many of whom are Fordham Law alumni.

We also host a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Networking Reception where students have the opportunity to meet and network with attorneys, recruiters, and diversity professionals from more than 60 law firms and organizations. At our Small and Midsize Firm Reception, students can network with attorneys from more than 30 small and midsize firms.

Public Interest Legal Career Reception

Coordinated by PIRC and co-sponsored by 20 law schools, the Public Interest Legal Career Reception will introduce you to the outstanding and rewarding work done in public service with nonprofits, government agencies, and private/public interest law firms. Past participants (over 100) have included the ACLU, New York Civil Liberties Union, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York.

Online Job Bank

While you are a student, access to our online Job Bank allows you to search for and apply to listings for internships while in law school and for full-time employment after graduation. The Job Bank, which the CPC is always working to expand, includes listings from law firms of all sizes, government agencies, corporate legal departments, public interest organizations, and even courts. Your access continues after graduation, as many employers use our Job Bank to seek experienced attorneys.

160+
Employers Interview Students
Over 160 employers interviewed Fordham Law students through the 2023-2024 On-Campus Interview Programs.
Over 160 employers interviewed Fordham Law students through the 2019–2020 On-Campus Interview Program.

Alumni Network

The Fordham Law alumni network is exceptionally strong, active, and supportive- and here to help you.

Our alumni advance Fordham Law’s mission and reputation by engaging and collaborating with fellow alumni, students, and the wider Fordham Law community. Alumni resources and initiatives include:

Students

Fordham Law Alumni Association (FLAA)

The FLAA, one of the largest law school alumni associations in the country, engages students within the Fordham Law alumni network from day one. As a student, you automatically become a member of the FLAA and have access to its benefits.

FLAA Mentorship

The FLAA and Fordham Law’s mentorship and advising initiatives pair you with a diverse group of alumni of differing seniority levels, backgrounds, and experiences, in a variety of legal careers—all of whom are available to help you do everything from mastering your introduction to law school to acing interviews and getting an offer. Our 1L House Mentors program connects students with alumni mentors throughout their first year, and the Mentor Minute program provides an opportunity for you to meet with an alumni mentor in short-term settings.

Worldwide Alumni Chapters

Fordham Law alumni can be found in 50 U.S. states as well as 97 countries worldwide. The FLAA currently has 38 national and international chapters, connecting you with Fordham Law alumni around the globe.

Networking Affinity Groups

The FLAA has formed a series of 11 active affinity groups that provide forums for alumni to gather socially and network, including:

  • Alumni Attorneys of Color
  • Alumni in Real Estate
  • Business and Financial Law
  • Compliance
  • Entrepreneurial Law
  • Intellectual Property and Information Law
  • International Law
  • LGBTQ
  • Litigation and Dispute Resolution
  • Solo/Small Firm
  • Women’s Networking – D.C. and NYC Chapters

FLAA Recent Graduate Committee

Members are leaders in our alumni community who graduated within the past 10 years. They dedicate their time and talents to strengthening the mission of Fordham Law, hosting social events, service projects, and quarterly meetings.

Small to Midsize Firm Leaders’ Advisory Council

This council, consisting of alumni in leadership roles at small to midsize firms, offers expertise and guidance to students choosing careers in small to midsize firm settings.

Entrepreneurial Law Advisory Council

This council provides students with a structured program that delivers practical problem-solving opportunities to serve the strategic and legal needs of start-up enterprises.

Public Interest Advisory Council

This council offers advice on how best to prepare for legal practice in public interest and public service positions, including legal knowledge, professional skills, and the ethos of service.

Faculty and Scholarship

At Fordham Law, our superb faculty leads with intellectual curiosity to delve into the most pressing and complex legal issues of the day. Our professors are at the forefront of innovative and pacesetting scholarship that is shaping our knowledge of the law. Recognized as thought leaders in a wide array of legal disciplines, they regularly publish on today’s most critical legal issues, and their vital work influences public debate, advances practical solutions, and has a direct impact on the real world. You’ll have the opportunity to not only learn the law from these leading scholars but also collaborate closely with them to pursue answers to some of the most vexing legal and policy questions facing our society and world.
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Roundtable discussion in classroom
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Explore our faculty directory,

where you can search our professors by expertise and discipline.

law.fordham.edu/fulltimefaculty

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply?
We strongly encourage you to use the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) service and apply electronically at lsac.org. You can request a paper application by contacting us via email (lawadmissions@fordham.edu) or by calling our office (212-636-6810).

When are applications accepted?
Our application opens on September 15 and closes on March 15. Please note that admissions are rolling and we review applications as they are completed.

How much is the application fee?
The application processing fee is $75.

Can I receive an application fee waiver?
Fee waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis. More information and the fee waiver application can be found at law.fordham.edu/apply.

Transfer and visitor applicants are ineligible for an application fee waiver.

When can I expect to be notified about my application?
Fordham makes decisions on a rolling basis. The committee endeavors to notify applicants of decisions within 10 to 12 weeks after the completion of their application. Applications received on or around University calendar breaks will take additional processing time.

What are the median LSAT and GPA for admitted students?
Our 2023 entering full-time students had a median LSAT of 167 and a GPA of 3.76. Our 2023 part-time students had a median LSAT of 164 and a GPA of 3.58.

What are my chances of being admitted?
While we can’t predict your chances of being admitted, please be aware that we take a holistic approach to the admissions process and consider all aspects of an application. More information can be found at law.fordham.edu/selectioncriteria.

Contact Information

J.D. Admissions

4th Floor
212-636-6810
lawadmissions@fordham.edu

LL.M. Admissions

8th Floor
212-636-6883
llm@fordham.edu

M.S.L. Admissions

8th Floor
212-636-6883
msl@fordham.edu

Financial Aid

4th Floor
212-636-6815
lawfinaid@fordham.edu

Registrar

4th Floor
212-636-6800
registrar@fordham.edu

Student Affairs

4th Floor
212-636-7155
lawstudentaffairs@fordham.edu

Career Planning

Lower Level
212-636-6926
careers@law.fordham.edu

Alumni Relations

8th Floor
212-636-6806
lawalumni@fordham.edu

Clinical Legal Education

9th Floor
212-636-6934
clinicdesk@fordham.edu

Information Systems and Planning

Lower Level
212-636-6786
lawhelpdesk@fordham.edu

Public Interest Resource Center

Lower Level
212-636-6952
pirc@fordham.edu

International Programs and Study Abroad

8th Floor
212-636-7702
lawstudyabroad@fordham.edu

Detailed map of Manhattan, displaying Fordham's location
Fordham Law School
For Our Profession, Society, and World
Viewbook 2024–2025