On March 10, approximately 50 Fordham Law alumni and students gathered for Lunch with a Lawyer: Government and Public Interest Alumni, an interactive and informal roundtable designed to help current students gain insight into the roles of government and public interest legal professionals.
The event displayed Fordham Law’s unique Network Effect: alumni returning to the Law School to engage with students. Graduates in attendance advised students how to build the skills that are necessary for positions in government and public interest fields. The alumni anchored subject area tables in criminal prosecutorial, family and children’s rights, regulatory, environmental, trial and appellate practice, and labor and employment. The students not only enjoyed an informal lunch discussion delving into career paths of potential interest to them but made the important first connections with alumni that would continue to develop throughout their careers.
“Fordham Law nurtures a tradition of giving back,” said Suzanne Endrizzi, assistant dean for career planning. “The School’s alumni, in their eagerness and enthusiasm to pass on their knowledge and wisdom to our current students, display this generous spirit regularly at events like today’s lunch.”
Bill Furber ’11 said that, as a student, he benefited from the Network Effect through alumni contributions of time and money to the Brendan Moore Trial Advocates, for which he served as editor-in-chief.
“Given how alumni supported me, I feel a sense of duty and responsibility to give guidance and be a resource for today’s students,” Furber said, noting Fordham Law provided him contact with not only prosecutors but plaintiff’s attorneys, defense attorneys, corporate attorneys, and others. Those contacts have only expanded in his five years as a prosecutor at the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
“There’s a whole alumni network of people to reach out to after you graduate,” he said. “They are super hands-on when you’re here, and they are super hands-on after you leave. These are people who love Fordham Law, and that’s why they do it,” Furber said.
Student Adam Cohen ’18 discussed regulatory issues and the steps necessary to land an internship/externship with alumni Sam Wasserman ’10 of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Abe Putney ’04 of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. In addition to learning more about how to position himself as an ideal candidate for job vacancies, Cohen said the contacts he made Thursday over lunch could be vital in the future.
“You never know when you might need to call on someone,” Cohen said. “These events create those relationships.”
“Fordham Law has a long history of promoting public service, so it was really gratifying to see that this tradition continues with so many students expressing an interest in government and nonprofit careers,” said Putney.
Kyle Fitzpatrick ’18, sitting with alumni Conor Duffy ’13 and Amanda Sue Nichols ’09, very much appreciated the time they dedicated to the event, and he was grateful for the opportunity to network and learn more about government and public service work.
“Meeting Fordham Law alumni in the field is a great advantage,” said Fitzpatrick. “This lunch event is giving me a good sense of what I’m going to need to do to make my professional way into government or public interest work. Making these types of connections is invaluable.”
Nichols was happy to meet with Fitzpatrick and other current students.
“This program allowed me to combine two things that I am passionate about: Fordham Law School and working for the city,” she said. “I appreciated the opportunity to share this with the students, and I think the informal nature of the discussion was a beneficial way to provide information that addressed each student’s specific goals and circumstances.”
Dean Matthew Diller praised the alumni for their ongoing support of Fordham Law’s Network Effect.
“All our alumni—regardless of what field or position they’re in—share a few enduring characteristics,” he said. “They are innovative and smart. They make an impact in the profession and in our society. And, above all, they are ready, willing, and able to support the next crop of Fordham lawyers. We as a School are incredibly lucky to have such an engaged alumni community.”