School of Law – Fordham Now

John Lewis Fulbright Fellowships Awarded to Two Fordham Law Grads

Alex Williamson — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:52:44 +0000

Two Fordham Law graduates are among a select group of Fulbright fellows to receive a new award named for a civil rights icon.

Connie Ticho (LAW ’24) and Nate Johnson (LAW ’22) earned the Fulbright-John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship, a supplementary award for Fulbright U.S. Student Program awardees studying nonviolent movements around the world.

In addition to the benefits of the standard Fulbright fellowship, they’ll receive additional opportunities, including a lecture series, leadership training, and professional development opportunities. Fordham is one of only three universities nationwide to produce more than one Fulbright-John Lewis fellow.

Protecting Human Rights in South Africa

Ticho, who uses they/them pronouns, is headed to South Africa, where they’ll be researching Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), a legal framework that shows promise for protecting mining communities against human rights violations.

“FPIC demands that communities have agency over how their land is developed,” said Ticho. “A lot of mining communities are very poor and there are also a lot of health issues, because of poor mine closure and regulations. So I’m looking at how this principle could be codified within the legal system there.”

They will be working in collaboration with the University of Pretoria Center for Human Rights, as well as a South African NGO called Lawyers for Human Rights. Ticho’s first priority is supporting local advocates, who’ve faced violence and death threats.

“I feel privileged … to go do this research and to create a tool to leave behind with activists, so they can focus on their advocacy,” they said.

Envisioning Justice Beyond Incarceration

Johnson recently started his Fulbright fellowship in Belfast, where he’s pursuing a Master of Laws in Human Rights Law and Transitional Justice at Ulster University. He’s studying non-carceral solutions to human rights violations, specifically those that arose during the decades-long period of violence in Northern Ireland called “The Troubles.”

A former tenants rights attorney, Johnson is interested in exploring how helping people meet basic needs could mitigate violence. He plans to study how emphasizing positive rights—like access to housing—could be a way of responding to harmful situations before they occur, rather than reacting punitively after the fact.

He credits his mentor, Fordham Law professor Chi Adanna Mgbako, with supporting his success. “I cannot thank her enough for all the help she’s given me in figuring out what I’m doing, whether it’s personal or professional,” he said.

Big Shoes to Fill

The Fulbright-John Lewis Fellowship honors the legacy of John Lewis, a politician and civil rights activist who led the first Selma-to-Montgomery march and helped to organize the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr. A member of the Democratic Party, Lewis served in the House of Representatives from 1987 until his death in 2020.

For Johnson, earning a fellowship named for Lewis was a humbling experience. “I mean, his amazing legacy of nonviolent activism, of refusing to compromise on his values to the point of changing those of America … I was nervous to even associate myself with that legacy by applying,” he said. “But then I got it, and I still feel a little bit of hesitation about that, but I also feel really excited.”

Could Brazil and Colombia’s Integration of Venezuelan Migrants Be a Model for Refugee Labor?

Fordham News — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 20:30:01 +0000

According to Fordham Law Professor Jennifer Gordon, the exodus of Venezuelans has become the world’s largest modern movement of people across borders, surpassing the Syrian and Ukrainian refugee crises. Over the last decade, more than 7 million people have fled Venezuela to escape political instability and severe economic issues, in search of better living conditions in other South American countries.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Today’s Professionalism Fellows are Tomorrow’s Leaders

Fordham News — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 14:55:27 +0000

Whether it’s holding a “tips and tricks” workshop during midterms or taking a “wellness walk” through Central Park, this year’s seven professionalism fellows have worked tirelessly to promote professionalism, mentorship, and inclusion among first-year law students at Fordham Law.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Catherine Powell Named Senior Advisor to White House Gender Policy Council

Fordham News — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:38:53 +0000

Professor Catherine Powell, Eunice Hunton Carter Distinguished Research Scholar at Fordham Law, is joining the White House this month on a 6-month assignment as a senior advisor at the White House Gender Policy Council. She’ll be the chief advisor on gender-based violence.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

At Blockchain Symposium, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Urges Greater Engagement With Washington

Fordham News — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:55:41 +0000

Speaking to an audience of Blockchain insiders and legal experts, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) advised them that “political engagement” with Congress is crucial to the future of their industry.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Fordham Law Launches Third Annual Academy for the Advancement of Women in Law

Fordham News — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 15:08:20 +0000

When the organizers of Fordham Law’s executive education program focused on women in the legal profession needed a keynote speaker, they didn’t have to look any further than Fordham University President Tania Tetlow.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

On Public Service Day, First-Year Students Live Out Fordham Law’s Ideals

Fordham News — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 19:04:46 +0000

From cleaning up Central Park, advocating for gender-affirming care, and studying neighborhoods in Chinatown, around 200 Fordham Law students spread across New York City for the school’s annual Public Service Day.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Student Affinity Groups Organize Town Hall Following Latest SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision

Fordham News — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:42:17 +0000

Over the summer, Fordham Law students gathered together for a town hall event to discuss the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling made in late June. The two cases, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, upended current procedures that allowed colleges to consider race as a factor in admissions.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Marta Ricardo Appointed Assistant Dean of Professionalism, Maya FitzGerald Appointed Director of Professionalism

Fordham News — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:58:27 +0000

Dean Matthew Diller is delighted to announce that Marta Ricardo has been appointed as the new Assistant Dean of Professionalism at Fordham Law School. She will also continue in her role as Director of Lawyering Skills, enabling the Law School to build on the synergies between the Law School’s professional identity formation initiatives and its lawyering skills programs. Dean Ricardo joined Fordham Law in 2021. She has a distinguished career educating and preparing students to succeed as professionals and legal practitioners.

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Fordham Law’s Legal English Institute Begins with 18 Participants Hailing from 10 Countries

Fordham News — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:49:07 +0000

On August 21, the Legal English Institute (LEI) at Fordham Law School welcomed 18 new
participants. The participants are practicing lawyers and law students who earned their law degrees from 10 countries around the world: Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Indonesia, Italy, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Ukraine. This semester-long program will take place fully in person at the Law School’s campus in New York City.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Students in Fordham Law’s IDEAL and REAL Programs Visit Supreme Court

Fordham News — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 17:09:15 +0000

Students affiliated with the Law School’s Increasing Diversity in Education and the Law (IDEAL) program and Realizing Excellence and Access in the Law (REAL) Scholars program traveled to Washington, D.C., on May 30 and 31 as part of the “Law in Practice” portion of the IDEAL program.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.