fordham law essays

Founded in 1914 and operating continuously since 1935, the  Fordham Law Review  is a scholarly journal committed to serving the legal profession and the public by discussing current legal issues.  The  Law Review  is both an honor society and a working journal that publishes six issues per year, three each semester, totaling over 3,000 pages.  The  Law Review  is managed by a board of twenty student editors and comprises an additional eighty student staff, members, and associate editors.

The  Fordham   Law Review  publishes works in various formats, including Articles, Essays, Symposia, and Student Notes.  The  Law Review  also administers  Fordham Law Review Online , the online companion to the  Law Review , which publishes independent legal scholarship and provides a forum for scholars to respond to articles and to comment on timely legal issues.

The  Fordham Law Review  is the thirteenth most cited law review in cases, ninth most cited law review in other journals, and ranked eighteenth overall in Washington & Lee University’s most recent annual study.

For more information about submissions to  Fordham Law Review  and  Fordham Law Review Online , please click  here .

JOURNAL SELECTION PROCESS

The  Fordham Law Review  selects approximately sixty staff members each year on the basis of grades, the Unified Writing Competition, and an optional personal statement.  Membership on the  Law Review  is open to all first-year (day and evening) Fordham Law students and transfer students who participate in the Unified Writing Competition and are in good standing.

The  Fordham Law Review  offers staff positions to approximately ten students on the basis of first-year grades.  To be eligible for a position, these students must turn in a Unified Writing Competition submission that demonstrates a good faith effort.  A good faith submission is a complete note that sufficiently engages with the materials and complies with all UWC Rules.

Writing & Bluebooking

The  Fordham Law Review  offers staff positions to approximately forty students on the basis of their submissions to the Unified Writing Competition.  The  Law Review  evaluates the submissions of those students ranking in the top 50 percent of the class who have not already been selected on the basis of grades. Students remain anonymous during this process.

Optional Personal Statement

The  Fordham Law Review  also offers positions to some students on the basis of an optional personal statement which is evaluated in conjunction with their submissions to the Unified Writing Competition.  The  Law Review  evaluates all submitted personal statements regardless of class ranking.

Transfer Students

Students who are planning to transfer to Fordham University School of Law and would like to be considered for staff membership on the  Fordham Law Review  are invited to take part in the Transfer Unified Writing Competition.  Up to three transfer students entering their second year in the day division, or their second or third year in the evening division, may be selected on the basis of a submission to the Transfer Unified Writing Competition ( details below ).  Transfer students must meet one of the following two requirements to be eligible for staff membership on the  Fordham   Law Review :

(1)  the student was invited, on the basis of scholarship, to join the law review at the law school from which the student transferred; or

(2)  the student placed in the top 25 percent of the class at the law school from which the student transferred.

Check back soon for information on the 2023 Unified Writing Competition!

Any prospective members seeking information regarding the  Fordham Law Review ’s selection process or the Unified Writing Competition may contact the Executive Notes Editor of the  Fordham Law Review  at  [email protected] .

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

As both a law journal and a student organization, the  Fordham Law Review  is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through its scholarship and among its membership.

We define  diversity  as a range of experiences, opinions, values, and worldviews that arise from differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith, age, disability, education level, socioeconomic status, immigration status, ideological perspectives, and more.

We define  equity  as the fair treatment, opportunity, and advancement for all people—including our members and the authors we consider for publication. Equity also means working to (1) eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of those who hold historically marginalized identities and (2) make the processes and procedures of the  Law Review  more transparent and just.

We define  inclusion  as the effort of ensuring that all individuals feel respected, supported, and valued.

The  Law Review  recognizes that the law and the legal profession have created and continue to contribute to deep racial harms and systemic inequities. As a journal that provides a platform for scholarship and ideas, the  Law Review  has a responsibility to elevate underrepresented voices. We strive to do this by publishing authors with varying backgrounds, identities, and perspectives on the law and by prioritizing language that respects the dignity of marginalized groups.

As a student organization that is selective by design, the  Law Review  takes seriously its responsibility to improve the diversity of its membership, foster an inclusive working environment, and support the greater Fordham Law community’s diversity, accessibility, and racial justice efforts. Toward these goals, the  Law Review ’s past and current diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives include:

• Creating an Executive Diversity & Inclusion Editor position and an Associate Diversity & Inclusion Editor position on the Editorial Board;
• Forming a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to help lead the  Law Review ’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives;
• Changing staff selection criteria and processes (e.g., lowering the GPA eligibility requirement and increasing the number of students who can be selected on the basis of their personal statement and their UWC submission, regardless of class rank);
• Developing a self-identification survey to help track the diversity of the  Law Review ’s membership over time;
• Partnering with Fordham Law student organizations and journals to demystify the Unified Writing Competition and the journal experience;
• Drafting an inclusive language guide to assist the  Law Review ’s staff with using and prioritizing inclusive language when preparing scholarship for publication;
• Distributing a “Guide to 1L” to assist students from underrepresented backgrounds with navigating the challenges of the first year of law school;
• Compiling implicit bias training materials for all staff; and
• Expanding  Fordham Law Review Online  to include student-written pieces related to issues of systemic racism in the law.

The Executive Diversity & Inclusion Editor can be contacted at:  [email protected] .

We kindly ask our alumni to fill out the following form to ensure the  Law Review  has the most up to date information:

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• FORDHAM LAW REVIEW ©2023

Our Mission

• Inaugural Symposium of the Voting Rights and Democracy Forum
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Submissions

The Voting Rights and Democracy Forum is currently accepting submissions for the Commentary section and Volume 2 of the online journal to be published during the 2023-2024 academic year .

General Information

The  Forum  is a student-edited online publication within the Voting Rights and Democracy Project at Fordham University School of Law. We publish legal analysis by law professors, scholars, policymakers, legal practitioners and law students on voting rights, election law, democratic institutions, and how these areas intersect with social justice.

As one of the first law school publications with this focus, the Forum publishes pieces on topics including, but not limited to:

• redistricting and gerrymandering;
• voter disenfranchisement;
• racial discrimination in elections;
• ballot access and reform;
• campaign finance;
• contested elections and post-election litigation;
• reform of democratic institutions;
• separation of powers;
• election administration;
• lobbying and ethics reform;
• recall elections;
• popular referenda and initiatives; and
• the rule of law.

Submission Guidelines

Commentaries.

The Forum ‘s Commentary section provides an agile platform for legal scholars, experts and students to share novel analysis of today’s legal issues.

We actively consider commentaries of between 400 and 2,000 words for publication. Examples of commentaries include:

• Analysis of a case, proposed legislation, statute or regulation, or of another underdeveloped legal topic;
• Opinion-editorials with a clear topic and theme;
• Reviews of books and scholarly legal articles;
• Letters to the Editor responding to published Forum commentaries, articles, and essays.

Commentaries are evaluated based on the quality of the analysis and the timeliness of the topic. Forum editors work with authors to finalize the work for publication, including conducting a comprehensive review of all sources. Commentaries must contain hyperlinks to sources, but need not cite in footnotes. 

How to Submit a Commentary

Submissions may be sent to the Executive Commentary Editor at [email protected] with “Commentary Submission” in the subject line. Current law students should additionally submit a C.V. (or resume).

Articles & Essays

The Forum  publishes two types of content in our online journal , Articles and Essays. 

• Articles are typically under 15,000 words (excluding footnotes) and tend to analyze a problem and offer a solution. Articles should provide some background information before addressing a novel argument. Most follow a traditional roadmap of an introduction, background, analysis/arguments, and conclusion. Articles tend to be formal in tone and ground analysis in substantive support with consistent citations. Submissions should include a brief abstract.
• Essays are typically between 3,000 and 5,000 words (excluding footnotes) and advance an idea, analyze a judicial case, or succinctly summarize a legal development. Essays should be formal in tone, and while there is no preferred structure, student submissions should be particularly mindful to ground analysis in substantive support and cite comprehensively to established scholarly work.

Articles and Essays are selected based on the thoroughness of the analysis, the originality of the topic and the quality of the writing. Forum editors work with authors to finalize the work for publication, including conducting a comprehensive review of all sources and citations.

How to Submit an Article or Essay:

Article and essay submissions to the Forum should be in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, with footnotes, not endnotes, according to the conventions found in the 21st edition of The Bluebook:  A Uniform System of Citation . 

Authors are encouraged to submit through Scholastica or via email.

Submitting via Scholastica:

Submitting via Email:

To offer a submission via email, please email the Editor-in-Chief at [email protected] with “Article Submission” or “Essay Submission” in the subject line. Authors should submit a C.V. (or resume) with their manuscript and be prepared to send sources by upon request.

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How to Write the Fordham University Essay 2023-2024

If you’re unsure about responding because you don’t know what to write about, don’t worry! That’s what we’re here for, as we’re going to break down each prompt for you below.

Read these Fordham essay examples to inspire your writing.

Fordham Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants.

You may choose to answer one (1) of the optional questions below. Keep in mind that your response is a maximum of 300 words. Choose the question that you think will help the admission committee get a better understanding of your unique perspective and potential contributions to our community.

• Option 1: At Fordham, we expect students to care for and engage with their communities and be active citizens for positive change. Please share an experience you had that caused you to develop a new perspective, change your point of view, and/or empower you to take an action or be courageous. Your response should include examples of your personal growth (e.g., what did you learn, did your point of view change, did you develop new skills or strengths?).
• Option 2: Fordham, as a Jesuit university, recognizes the dignity, uniqueness and potential of each person. A Fordham education is student-centered and rooted in close collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. Describe how you would contribute to our campus community as an actively engaged learner and leader. Specifically draw on your personal story, identity, experiences, strengths, and perspectives.
• Option 3: Our motto is “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school.” New York City is a diverse and global city that provides Fordham students with a special kind of educational experience, full of both challenge and opportunity. What has prepared you to embrace the unique opportunity of living and learning in New York City?

At Fordham, we expect students to care for and engage with their communities and be active citizens for positive change. Please share an experience you had that caused you to develop a new perspective, change your point of view, and/or empower you to take an action or be courageous. Your response should include examples of your personal growth (e.g., what did you learn, did your point of view change, did you develop new skills or strengths?). (300 words)

This is a take on the classic “Diversity” essay, which also incorporates some elements of the “Community Service” archetype. You’ll want to discuss your values, viewpoints, and personal growth in relation to a specific story, preferably one that involves you actively working to make your community a better place. The important thing is to pick an anecdote that demonstrates your character and the good qualities that you will bring to Fordham. 

The prompt specifically asks for an event or experience, so though it may be tempting, you shouldn’t take this opportunity to list a variety of qualities or even a few quick examples of you demonstrating different qualities. While in theory you’re giving your reader more information with this approach than by focusing on a single story, in reality trying to fit multiple anecdotes into just 300 words often leads to the essay feeling rushed or disjointed.

Instead, you should pick a single story, as one experience, if chosen well, can actually tell your reader just as much about you as a range of experiences can. So, dive deeply into the story you choose, and think about what it tells Fordham about you. If there is a culture, organization, or movement that you have deep involvement with, this is a good time to mention it, but you’ll still want to pick a specific event from that work, rather than summarizing across a period of months or years. If you don’t have a specific cause, can you think of a time that you showed particular strength of character? Either way, here are some questions to get you thinking:

• What qualities are you most proud of? What qualities do others admire in you? How did you develop them? Can you think of a story that showcases them especially well?
• Describe a time that you helped someone, or a group of people. What did you do? What led you to help? What did you learn?
• Reflect on some important beliefs that you hold. How did you come to those beliefs? Have they ever been tested? In what ways have you expressed or stood up for those beliefs?
• Name a time that your worldview changed or expanded. What prompted this change or expansion? How did you respond?
• Have you ever felt particularly inspired by a person or an event? What touched you about this experience? What did you do with the inspiration you felt?

Remember that the point of the essay is to set yourself apart from other applicants, so, while you of course want to be honest and share an experience that was genuinely meaningful to you, you also want to be mindful of stories that might also be told in a lot of other students’ essays.

For example, talking about making a new friend from another culture and learning about their background is a nice story, but it’s an experience that many people have had. That doesn’t mean you need to pivot to something entirely different, however. Rather, you could instead write about an argument the two of you had about something seemingly unrelated to culture, and how it helped you recognize certain cultural values that you had taken for granted.

Let’s say your friend is Muslim, and couldn’t attend your birthday party during Ramadan one year because she was fasting and didn’t want to be around so much food and activity. You could write about how you initially struggled to not be frustrated with her, and fully accept this part of her identity. By taking an unusual approach to a common story, you’ll teach admissions officers much more about yourself than if you just rehashed a story they’ve seen literally thousands of times before.

Once you’ve decided on your story, it’s time to start writing. While 300 words is medium-length for a supplement, that doesn’t mean you have all day, so you don’t want to waste words providing a bunch of background context on, for example, whether you drove or biked to the animal shelter. Just jump right in! You could start in the middle of the incident, or reflect back from present day, to make your essay dynamic and engaging from start to finish. 

However you choose to structure your response, the majority should be focused on the event itself, which you should describe with vivid, sophisticated language. Then, incorporate a thoughtful reflection on this event and what it meant to you. Remember to talk specifically about what you took away from the experience and how you carry those changes with you now. Fordham wants to understand why you’re a good fit for their school, so the connection between this experience and your potential as a college student should be clear.

Fordham, as a Jesuit university, recognizes the dignity, uniqueness and potential of each person. A Fordham education is student-centered and rooted in close collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. Describe how you would contribute to our campus community as an actively engaged learner and leader. Specifically draw on your personal story, identity, experiences, strengths, and perspectives.

This prompt is broader than the first, and allows you to explicitly connect yourself to Fordham. Rather than starting by looking backwards into the past, this option asks you to look to the future, imagining your growth over the next four years, and the contributions you would make to Fordham. 

But to describe what you’ll look like as a college student, you’ll need to explain how you got to the place you are. Once again, the best way to showcase your unique personality, attributes, and viewpoints is through a story or concrete example. That will be much more memorable to admissions committees than a bullet-pointy list of qualities you possess, or a series of identities that are important to you.

While picking your example, you have more flexibility than with the first option. You might focus on a long-term commitment you have outside the classroom, like a local book club, or the ways you consistently go above and beyond to engage in classes, like when a book you read in class intrigued you so much that you attended a talk by the author, or you continued a science project after the deadline just to see how your research continued progressing. The words you want to focus on in this prompt are active engagement , leader , and close collaboration . Do any of these spark a story for you?

Some essays that could make for a strong response to this prompt include:

• A student who applied what she had learned in her science class to her after-school work at a daycare, where she led the older children in simple experiments.
• A student who learned that some of his high school bandmates couldn’t afford to travel to a major competition, and worked with the band to set up fundraising efforts so they could all compete
• A student who wrote about a local performance for her journalism class and ended up being published in her town’s newspaper
• A student who organized carpools for his swim team to increase team cohesion and keep younger teammates, or teammates without cars, from having to walk or ride the bus to and from the pool

As you write, remember to outline the background of your story quickly, including all relevant details, and then describe the actual events in detail, focusing most on the aspects of the narrative that demonstrate the qualities you want to display. 

Finally, reflect on how you will bring what you learned from this experience to Fordham. There is an element of the classic “Why Us?” supplement here, so you want to make sure to connect your story to a niche you know exists at Fordham, to flex your knowledge of the school and show you’ll be ready to contribute as soon as you step on campus. If you’re not sure how to make this kind of specific connection, the course catalog and clubs page are great places to start.

Let’s say that learning about Picasso in your art class inspired you to look more closely at the way African and African-inspired art has been received in the Western world. You might write about your personal research into the topic, and conclude by saying that you can’t wait to bring your passion and research skills to art classes in Fordham’s Africanist Group. 

Whatever you choose to write about, make it unique, focus on you and your best qualities, and then come full circle by connecting it to Fordham! It’s only 300 words, so keep it simple, focused, and make sure to put your best foot forward.

Our motto is “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school.” New York City is a diverse and global city that provides Fordham students with a special kind of educational experience, full of both challenge and opportunity. What has prepared you to embrace the unique opportunity of living and learning in New York City?

There are some similarities between this prompt and the previous one, but here you’re being asked to picture yourself not just as part of the Fordham community, but as a resident of New York City. There are probably a million reasons why you’re excited about the prospect of living in New York, but, as we’ve noted in our breakdowns of the previous two prompts, remember that quantity over quality is the name of the game in college essays.

You also want to make sure you stand out–anyone can talk about the museums, the melting pot of cultures, or going to see Broadway shows. Although the prompt is asking you about New York, you should really be talking about yourself. So, rather than approaching this prompt from a touristy lens, and listing all the sights you want to see, think of this question as an opportunity to share what path you’re hoping to take in college, and how New York will help you along it. Consider the following example:

All my life, I’ve longed for the simplicity of a grid, and New York is the apex of griddiness. In my hometown, unplanned growth means a tangled sprawl of city streets, all with random names. My family says it’s my fault that I “can’t find my way out of a paper bag.” Maybe that’s true, but my horrendous sense of direction has helped me grow, believe it or not, even if I have accidentally ended up in the next town over when I was just trying to go to the grocery store..

I didn’t have a smartphone until I was sixteen, but was able to bike around town at age ten. That meant carrying a fold-out map in my back pocket which I was frequently (like, every block) stopping to consult. Initially, I was embarrassed by times when I pedaled in the wrong direction and added fifteen minutes to my rides, but as I matured, this insecurity shifted into a strange sense of certainty. Maybe I didn’t choose the right path at first, but I developed faith in my ability to notice my errors, reassess, and try again without breaking a sweat, unless I was at the bottom of the infamous Spring Street hill. Getting things wrong and having to backtrack stopped fazing me, and this resilience and confidence in my problem-solving skills eventually stretched beyond my treks around town, to trying new things in school, sports, and various other adventures. When people ask me how I can set off into college with such confidence, I tell them it’s not because I know I’m right; it’s because I know that I’ll be okay if I’m wrong. So I know whatever New York throws at me, I’ll be able to handle it.

This student did two things well here. First, she’s picked a seemingly surface-level aspect of New York, that most people wouldn’t think to write about. Second, she’s connected that aspect to herself in a unique, compelling way by taking a seemingly negative quality and reframing it as a positive opportunity for growth. Her creativity with both evaluating New York City and reflecting on her own experiences will both help her stand out to Fordham’s admissions committee. What unique attributes, narrative structures, or aspects of New York and yourself can you use to stand out to Fordham?

Where to Get Your Fordham University Essays Edited 

Writing essays can be tricky, especially when you’ve spent so long on them it’s hard to tell what sounds right and what doesn’t. A fresh pair of eyes can really help spot areas for improvement that might not occur to you, or other ways to make you stand out to the admissions officers at Fordham. CollegeVine has created a free Peer Review Essay Tool , where you can get feedback on your essay, and give feedback to other students just like you!

CollegeVine also offers essay review by our team of experienced advisors, who have helped hundreds of students submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you and get the feedback you need to make your application a success!

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Fordham Optional Essay

Hi trying to submit my application to fordham soon, I took the optional essay as a diversity statement and talked about how that inspired me to pursue law and why it is important for me to contribute to the law school student body. But I also see in the requirements they mentioned something like overcoming difficulties and stuff——do we have to cover everything in the prompt? There’s a lot of things and I feel like it’s impossible to cover all the aspects so maybe it’s okay to choose and write?

Should Teachers Be Tough Graders? Here’s What They Have to Say

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When it comes to grading, does “tough love” work?

The disparity between students’ grades and their performance on standardized tests has resurfaced the age-old question about whether students’ grades accurately reflect what they’ve learned . Furthermore, new questions are emerging about what grading practices are most equitable .

In 2020, EdWeek covered a report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute contending that students perform better on end-of-year standardized tests when their teachers are tough graders. The piece was recently resurfaced on social media, which prompted teachers to share their grading opinions. Educators discussed grading’s validity and relevance to learning, as well as their thoughts on grading practices as a whole.

The following is a collection of the most popular sentiments from those conversations.

In short ... hear, hear!

— Francoise B.

“Gee, shocking.”

— Verity S.

“I do hope this is not shocking.”

Should test scores be the end goal, “’doing better on tests’ means absolutely nothing.”, “with 20 years of data on standardized testing, i’ve yet to see someone use it to prove that standardized testing is working, or helpful to students at all, let alone worth the financial investment. prepping students for a standardized test is not teaching.”, “[i] had a teacher who told us the answers. we thought we were smart, but we were memorizing the information required.”.

— Shaune H.

Keep grading standards by the book

“so it’s simple. c is average. most kids are there. b is above average, and a is extraordinary. very few kids earn an a. but teachers just give them because it makes life easier. then kids take tests and they are average ... effort grades are different kids can work really hard and still be average, but their effort is outstanding. the difference matters a lot”.

— Sandra G.

“It is hard to get an A in my classes, but not because I purposefully make it difficult, but because to get an A, I require exceptional work. Doing the required work is expected, so if you do it all, you get a C. To get the A ... you have to go ‘well above the average’ in all skills ...”

— Gonzalo R.

“I had hell to pay when my grades were lower than the lackadaisical previous teacher[‘s].”

Tough grades can be a wakeup call, “i think tough grades are fine if students have options to learn from their mistakes and not be penalized for them. there has to be a way to do this while still holding students accountable for best efforts.”, “given the research that shows that grades themselves are not actually causally related to improving learning, i wonder if this study would also hold for: when teachers are demanding of quality work and offer time for students to respond to feedback, students learn more.”.

— Garreth H.

Progress—and the support of it—are key

“what if high expectations and support at the beginning and middle happened so grades didn’t have to be the wake-up call grades aren’t the answer. supporting teachers who then have the power to support students is key. bringing families in on the learning is the third leg to a balanced equation.”, “i’ve become a big fan of the four-point scale. 4 is above. 3 is on level. 2 is below, but progressing. 1 is well below. it gives parents a much more accurate sense of what their kid is accomplishing.”.

— Allison H.

“This might’ve been true when kids cared about grades and parents were engaged in parenting enough to hold their kids accountable.”

— Morgan B.

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