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].