Feerick Center for Social Justice

Feerick Center for Social Justice

The Center’s establishment reflects Fordham Law School’s long tradition of and commitment to legal education in the service of others and builds on Professor John D. Feerick’s contributions as Dean of the Law School (1982-2002) and currently as the Sidney C. Norris Professor of Law.

Upcoming Events

Recent Events

Thank you to all of the donors who helped make the Feerick Center’s 2024 Awards & Benefit Reception a success. We were honored to pay tribute to a Fordham legend, Hon. John F. Keenan ’54 — along with many of his loyal former clerks — and to celebrate an extraordinary group of honorees. Special thanks to our leadership-level donors.

Your support as Justice Partners, Patrons, Champions, Benefactors, and Friends of the Center ensured that we have another outstanding benefit. Your generous support will help the Feerick Center continue its important social justice work with Fordham Law School students, alumni, and partners.

It’s Not Too Late to Make a Gift

 

Learn More About the Honorees and the Benefit Committee

2024 Honorees

2024 Honorees

Feerick Center News

Conference Explores the Persistence of Segregation in Selective Public School Admissions

Conference Explores the Persistence of Segregation in Selective Public School Admissions

In a keynote speech weaving his own family history in the civil rights movement with current policy analysis, Dr. Stefan Redding Lallinger illuminated persistent inequities that plague public education systems …

Public Service Leaders Honored at 2024 Feerick Center Awards Celebration 

Public Service Leaders Honored at 2024 Feerick Center Awards Celebration 

The Feerick Center Awards & Benefit Reception celebrates the work of exceptional members of the legal community who have made a difference through their contributions to the public interest.  The …

A Farewell Message from Dean Matthew Diller

A Farewell Message from Dean Matthew Diller

Dear Fordham Law Community, It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 30 years since I joined Fordham Law as a junior member of the faculty. As I prepare …

Dean Matthew Diller Named Senior Counsel at Fordham Law’s Feerick Center for Social Justice

Dean Matthew Diller Named Senior Counsel at Fordham Law’s Feerick Center for Social Justice

The Feerick Center for Social Justice at Fordham Law School has announced that Dean Matthew Diller will be joining the Center as senior counsel, beginning in fall 2025. Diller, who …

Thanina Haddadi, LL.M. ’24 and Julia Tedesco ’23 Celebrated as Emerging Leaders in Immigrant Justice Advocacy

Thanina Haddadi, LL.M. ’24 and Julia Tedesco ’23 Celebrated as Emerging Leaders in Immigrant Justice Advocacy

Thanina (Nina) Haddadi, LL.M. ’24 and Julia K. Tedesco ’23 were each honored with the Feerick Center for Social Justice’s Defender of the Dream Awards at the Center’s 8th Annual …

Fordham Law Kicks Off Spring Semester with New Faces, Classes, and Public Service Initiatives

Fordham Law Kicks Off Spring Semester with New Faces, Classes, and Public Service Initiatives

As Fordham Law students return to classes this week, they can look forward to 13 new courses, the addition of two prestigious faculty members, and a semester filled with interesting …

As Migrant Crisis Grows, Fordham Law Steps Up to Help Asylum Seekers

As Migrant Crisis Grows, Fordham Law Steps Up to Help Asylum Seekers

They had made their way to the Bronx from Ecuador, Western Sahara, and Ghana. And Fordham University was there to help them. More than a dozen students from across Fordham’s …

Feerick Center Awards Honor Public Service Leaders

Feerick Center Awards Honor Public Service Leaders

From pro bono counsel to philanthropy to direct legal advocacy on issues including immigration and domestic violence, nine people were honored for their legal work at this year’s Fordham Law’s …

Incarceration and Mental Health: How A Different Approach to Mental Health May Be Key to Closing Rikers

Incarceration and Mental Health: How A Different Approach to Mental Health May Be Key to Closing Rikers

New York City has committed to closing the infamous Rikers Island jail by 2027, but to do so the City will need to cut the jail’s population nearly in half. …

Razeen Zaman ’16 Receives Defender of the Dream Award at 7th Annual Feerick Center FriendRaiser

Razeen Zaman ’16 Receives Defender of the Dream Award at 7th Annual Feerick Center FriendRaiser

Razeen Zaman ’16 was honored with the Feerick Center for Social Justice’s Defender of the Dream Award at the Center’s 7th Annual Friendraiser on April 24. At the time, Zaman …

Fordham Law Students Assist Asylum Seekers in Texas with Feerick Center

Fordham Law Students Assist Asylum Seekers in Texas with Feerick Center

Fordham Law students Jose Olivares Blanca ’25, Ana Belzunce Crompin ’25, Ross Levin ’25, and Sonia Montejano ’24 traveled to El Paso, Texas, for their spring break with the Feerick …

Feerick Center Honors Public Service Leaders at Annual Awards & Benefit Reception

Feerick Center Honors Public Service Leaders at Annual Awards & Benefit Reception

The Feerick Center for Social Justice held its annual Awards & Benefit Reception on Oct. 24 at the headquarters of Mutual of America in New York City. Distinguished guests and …

Feerick Center Event Highlights Impact of Asylum and Immigration Policy on Families

Feerick Center Event Highlights Impact of Asylum and Immigration Policy on Families

The Feerick Center for Social Justice hosted a panel event, “The State of Asylum Processing & U.S. Immigration Policy: The Impact on Families,” on July 12 which discussed recent changes …

Fordham Law’s APALSA Highlights Importance of AAPI Heritage Month through Events and Collaborations

Fordham Law’s APALSA Highlights Importance of AAPI Heritage Month through Events and Collaborations

Though the 2021-2022 academic year officially comes to a close in less than two weeks, Fordham Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) ensured that its members, as well …

Plight of Essential Workers Highlighted during Feerick Center’s Social Justice Speaker Series

Plight of Essential Workers Highlighted during Feerick Center’s Social Justice Speaker Series

The Feerick Center for Social Justice held its fourth and final Social Justice Speaker Series event of the 2021-2022 academic year on March 24, featuring Estee Ward, a staff attorney …

Dismantling Unjust Interest Rates for Debt Collection Judgments

Dismantling Unjust Interest Rates for Debt Collection Judgments

Feerick Center for Social Justice Deputy Director Karuna Patel wrote an article, published in the University of Pennsylvania School of Law’s Regulatory Review, discussing the costs of credit and debt …

Jessie Boas ’19 Receives Inaugural Defender of the Dream Award at Feerick Center 2022 FriendRaiser

Jessie Boas ’19 Receives Inaugural Defender of the Dream Award at Feerick Center 2022 FriendRaiser

On March 10, Fordham Law School’s Feerick Center for Social Justice held its annual Virtual FriendRaiser, where Jessie Boas ’19 was honored with the Center’s inaugural Defender of the Dream …

Irish Unity In Our Time? Irish Politicians Discuss Nation’s Future with Fordham Law Community

Irish Unity In Our Time? Irish Politicians Discuss Nation’s Future with Fordham Law Community

The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union has reopened long settled agreements between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom concerning Northern Ireland and brought new attention to …

On School Admissions, New York City’s Next Step Must be Forward, Not Back

On School Admissions, New York City’s Next Step Must be Forward, Not Back

Dora Galacatos, executive director of the Feerick Center for Social Justice, co-authored an op-ed for the Gotham Gazette urging New York City school admissions processes to take steps toward equity. …

The Future of Geographic Screens for NYC’s High Schools is Up in the Air Amid Concerns over Diversity, Commutes

The Future of Geographic Screens for NYC’s High Schools is Up in the Air Amid Concerns over Diversity, Commutes

The latest report from the Feerick Center for Social Justice, titled The Next Step: Prioritizing Equity and Recovery in NYC High School Admissions, was highlighted in an article in Chalkbeat. Dora Galacatos ’96, …