Jones Day Foundation Makes Significant Donation to Support Fordham Law School’s IDEAL Program

$300K Donation Helps Attract Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds into the Legal Profession

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fordham Law School announced today that it has received a gift of $300K from the Jones Day Foundation to support its Increasing Diversity in Education and the Law (IDEAL) pipeline program. The IDEAL program identifies motivated and talented underrepresented students in the New York City area and introduces them to the many facets of the legal profession to increase diversity throughout the legal industry.

“Through the generosity of the Jones Day Foundation, and the involvement of Jones Day’s lawyers as mentors, we will be able to increase the diversity pipeline by engaging more with New York City college students who are underrepresented in the legal profession,” said Matthew Diller, Dean of Fordham Law School. “At Fordham Law, we believe that equal justice begins with equal opportunity to become a lawyer, and the support by Jones Day and the Jones Day Foundation of the IDEAL Program enhances our ability to contribute to a more diverse legal profession. It means a lot that a firm like Jones Day would assist us in this effort, and we are grateful for their tremendous support.”

“Fordham Law School’s IDEAL initiative provides a significant pipeline program to attract and develop underrepresented and diverse students to a path in the legal profession in one of the most diverse populations in the world, and in the world’s most important legal market,” said Anthony M. Insogna, who leads the Intellectual Property practice at the global law firm Jones Day. “As a Fordham Law alumnus, I am especially proud to partner with Fordham in its vision to expose more diverse individuals from local colleges to the practice of law.”

The Jones Day Foundation joins other firms in their support of the IDEAL program.

About the IDEAL Program
The IDEAL program seeks to engage college students who are interested in pursuing a law degree or who have an interest in the law. In collaboration with Fordham University and the CUNY network, IDEAL identifies promising students and exposes them to a rich and dynamic educational curriculum that begins the sophomore year and culminates with graduation from their undergraduate institution. IDEAL offers the participating students early exposure to the study and practice of law and through the program, seeks to afford participants the opportunity to learn about and attend law school and to become leaders on a variety of issues that impact the legal profession such as issues of racial, economic, and social justice.

Learn more about the program, including how to apply, here.

About Fordham Law School
Situated in New York City, Fordham Law School cultivates the collaborative community, intellectual curiosity, professional craft, and commitment to service vital to creating lawyers and legal scholars who can move our profession, society and world forward. Follow Fordham Law School on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

About Jones Day
Jones Day is a global law firm with more than 2,500 lawyers in 42 offices across five continents. The Firm is distinguished by: a singular tradition of client service; the mutual commitment to, and the seamless collaboration of, a true partnership; formidable legal talent across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions; and shared professional values that focus on client needs.

Jones Day has a long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to increasing diversity in the legal profession by hiring, developing, retaining, and advancing lawyers from historically underrepresented groups and backgrounds. A broad, diverse group of lawyers is important to the Firm’s culture and meets the needs of clients in a diverse world.