Policies Governing Recruitment at Fordham Law School
A number of different policies, standards and guidelines govern recruiting at Fordham. This section of our website provides links to the details of all such policies.
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Every student has received a copy of the Fordham Law School Professionalism Standards, and is expected to abide by these standards.
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Interview Guidelines for On and Off Campus Employers
In the process of determining which applicant(s) are the best match for a particular organization, interviewers typically take a variety of factors into consideration from objective data presented on an applicant's resume to impressions received during an interview.
In order to facilitate the fair and objective evaluation of applicants, the Career Planning Center offers employers the following guidelines in formulating interview inquiries as obtained from the New York State Division on Human Rights.
The following are examples of different types of inquiries that are recommended or not recommended by the New York State Division of Human Rights:
Subject: Age
Recommended: Are you 18 years of age or older? If not, state your age.
Not recommended: How old are you? What are the ages of your children, if any?Subject: Arrest Record
Recommended: Inquiry into applicant's past criminal convictions for offenses that the employer deems job-related and consistent with business necessity. (See http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm.)
Not recommended: Have you ever been arrested?Subject: Disability
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Do you have a disability? Have you ever been treated for any of the following diseases . . .? Do you have now, or have you ever had, a drug or alcohol problem?Subject: Genetic Predisposition or Carrier Status
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Do you have any genetic predisposition to disease? Do any diseases run in your family? Inquiries as to the health status of parents or other family members.Subject: Marital Status
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Do you wish to be addressed as Miss? Mrs.? Ms.? Are you married? Single? Divorced? Separated? Name or other information about spouse.Subject: National Origin
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Inquiry into applicant's lineage, ancestry, national origin, descent, parentage or nationality. Nationality of applicant's parents or spouse.Subject: Sexual Orientation
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Inquiries as to sexual orientation. Are you married or single? Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend? Requirement that applicant produce any document that would reveal marital status.Subject: Race or Color
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Complexion or color of applicant's skin, eyes, hair, and so forth.Subject: Religion
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Inquiry into applicant's religious denomination, religious affiliations, house of worship, religious holidays observed.Subject: Sex
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Inquiry as to gender. Inquiries as to capacity to reproduce, use of any form of birth control or family planning.Subject: Address or Duration of Residence
Recommended: Do you live in NYC?
Not recommended: How long have you lived in this country? In what country did you live before?Subject: Birthday
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Requirement that applicant submit birth certificate, naturalization or other record showing age. Requirement that applicant produce proof of age in form of birth certificate or other record.Subject: Birthplace
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Inquiries as to birthplace of applicant or birthplace of applicant's parents, spouse or other relatives.Subject: Citizenship
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Of what country are you a citizen? Inquiries as to whether an applicant or an applicant's parents or spouse are naturalized or native-born citizens; requirement that applicant produce naturalization papers.Subject: Driver's License
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Requirement that applicant produce license prior to offer of employment.Subject: Education
Recommended: Inquiry into applicant's academic, vocational or professional education and the public and private schools attended.
Not recommended: Year(s) of attendance; Date(s) of graduation.Subject: Language Experience
Recommended: Inquiry into work experience. If the duties of the position applicant is seeking require fluency in a particular language, inquiry may be made into whether applicant speaks or writes that language fluently.
Not recommended: What is your native language? Inquiry into how applicant acquired ability to read, write or speak a foreign language.Subject: Military Experience
Recommended: Inquiry into applicant's military experience in the Armed Forces of the United States or in a State Militia. Inquiry into applicant's service in a particular branch of the United States Army, Navy, etc.
Not recommended: Inquiry into applicant's military experience other than in the Armed Forces of the United States or in a State Militia.Subject: Name
Recommended: Have you ever worked for this company under a different name? Is additional information relative to change of name, use of an assumed name or nickname necessary to enable check on your work records? If yes, explain.
Not recommended: Inquiries as to original names of an applicant whose name has been changed by court order or otherwise. Inquiries as to the birth name of a married woman. If you have ever worked under another name, state name and dates.Subject: Notice In Case of Emergency
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Requirement that applicant provide name and address of relative to be notified in case of an accident or emergency.Subject: Organizations
Recommended: Are there extra-curricular activities or groups you're involved in that you think might usefully relate to work with our organization?
Not recommended: Requirement that applicant list all clubs, societies, and lodges to which applicant belongs.Subject: Photograph
Recommended: None
Not recommended: Requirement or option that applicant affix a photograph to employment form at any time before hiring.Subject: Relatives
Recommended: Inquiry as to names of applicant's relatives already employed by the company.
Not recommended: Inquiry as to names, addresses and ages of applicant's spouse, children or relatives not employed by the company. -
In December 2018, NALP eliminated its long-standing Principles and Standards for Law Placement and Recruitment Activities, replacing them with the new NALP Principles for a Fair and Ethical Recruitment Process. Fordham Law School has adopted the Fordham Law's Recruiting Guidelines:
The overarching goal of the Fordham Law Recruiting Guidelines, including the Fordham Law Guidelines for the Timing of Offers and Decisions, is to foster and encourage communications between students and employers over the course of the recruiting process. In addition to following the specific provisions set forth below, students should keep employers informed, in a timely manner, about the status of their consideration of their offers, and employers should keep students informed, in a timely manner, as to the status of their candidacies.
2024 Fordham Law Recruiting Guidelines
- We expect employers to adhere to the 2024 Fordham Law Guidelines for the Timing of Offers and Decisions.
- Employers that recruit at Fordham are required to affirm their agreement with Fordham Law's Non-Discrimination Policy (below).
- In addition, Fordham Law School students are expected to abide by the Fordham Law Professionalism Standards.
- We expect employers to adhere to the 2024 Fordham Law Guidelines for the Timing of Offers and Decisions.
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Before interviewing at Fordham School of Law, employers are asked to review this policy and sign a statement of compliance. Fordham University School of Law reaffirms its policy of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity in the context of the services provided by the Career Planning Center.
Fordham University School of Law reaffirms its policy of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity in the context of the services provided by the CPC. The School of Law does not knowingly support or patronize any organization that discriminates on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, gender identity characteristics, national origin, marital or parental status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, citizenship status, military/veteran status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Sanctions up to and including a ban on the use of Law School facilities or services may be imposed by the Dean on organizations and prospective employers which engage in (a) discrimination in their recruitment or hiring practices, or (b) conduct constituting sexual harassment by individual recruiters. Prospective employers are referred to Fordham University’s University-Wide Nondiscrimination Policy, according to which prospective employers may not engage in sexual harassment in their recruitment of Fordham Law School students. (The University-Wide Nondiscrimination Policy is available at https://www.fordham.edu/info/22823/discrimination. The University’s Student Sexual Misconduct Policy is available. The University’s Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy is available at https://www.fordham.edu/download/downloads/id/11683/fordham_university_sexual_harassment_prevention_policy.pdf.)