Fordham’s School of Law has already established itself as one of the top law schools in the New York metropolitan area—and now it’s made it to Hollywood, too.
The July 27 issue of The Hollywood Reporternamed Fordham Law on its list of the Top 10 Entertainment Law Schools, which featured schools with premier programs in entertainment law.
Fordham came in at No. 10 on the list, just after Vanderbilt’s and Stanford’s law schools.
“In the list heavily favoring schools in California, Fordham Law stands as one of only three East Coast law schools to make the cut—the other two are Columbia and Harvard,” said Michael M. Martin, dean of Fordham Law. “This is a first-of-its-kind accolade for Fordham Law and is a fine endorsement of our superb faculty and outstanding academic programs.”
More than 200 law schools were evaluated based on their course offerings, practical training, and prominent alumni (Fordham boasts Fox co-chairman Jim Gianopulos, ABC News anchor Chris Cuomo, and former Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross).
One of just four non-California law schools to make the list, Fordham Law will play a critical role for New York’s entertainment industry in the coming years, said Joel Reidenberg, the Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and professor of law, and director of the Center on Law and Information Policy.
“For New York and for the future of New York, this is going to be really important,” Reidenberg said. “We’ve got Silicon Alley in New York, and a lot of the leading online media content is being produced here in the city.”
Lauded for its diversity, Fordham’s entertainment law curriculum covers an array of issues—including privacy concerns, issues relating to the First Amendment, and protecting trademarks and copyrights—and spans media outlets, ranging from theater to the Internet.
“We have an extremely rich curriculum in the different areas of law that comprise media and entertainment,” Reidenberg said. “We have excellent courses in intellectual property, in law and technology, in the First Amendment—all of these different, critical areas of entertainment law.”
In addition, Fordham’s annual Intellectual Property Conference remains at the vanguard of its field. The conference, which marked its 20th gathering this year, draws hundreds of attendees each year and has been called one of the most thought-provoking conferences in the field of intellectual property.
The Top 10 list also highlighted the internationally recognized Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal (IPLJ). The IPLJ, which hosts an annual symposium, was ranked in 2008 as the No. 1 entertainment, arts, and sports law journal, and the No. 6 intellectual property journal, said Reidenberg, who moderates the journal.
The student-run Media and Entertainment Law Society also received a shout-out on the Hollywood Reporter list, as did the Fashion Law Institute, which has pioneered the study of fashion law.
