Center on Asian Americans and the Law

CAAL logo designed by Ron Gee 2022

Our Mission

Fordham’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law is a first-of-its-kind institution, with three core missions:

Civic education
Educating students, lawyers, and the public on legal issues of importance to AAPIs; 

Scholarship and AAPI legal studies
Establishing a national hub for research and scholarship on AAPI legal issues, including anti-Asian violence, affirmative action in education, the “Bamboo Ceiling” in employment, immigration and citizenship, and the myth of the model minority; and

Outreach and public advocacy
Generating interest in AAPI legal issues by reaching out to law firms, corporations, government, non-profit institutions, and the public, and by collaborating with others to advance the cause of justice for the AAPI community and society in general.

Massacre of Chinese at Rock Springs, Wyoming 240x240
Massacre of Chinese at Rock Springs, Wyoming, in Harper's Weekly (1885)

Washing Machine Advert (1886) 240x240
Washing Machine Ad (1886)

Mochida Family awaiting evacuation, Dorothea Lange, National Archives (1942) 240x240
Mochida Family awaiting evacuation, Dorothea Lange, National Archives (1942)

Projects and Programs

  • Reenactments of historic cases
  • Lectures and speaker panels
  • Creation of digital repository for primary research materials
  • Courses and scholarship on Asian Americans and the Law
  • Student activities and support, including lunchtime discussions, moot court, and assistance with internships and employment
  • Creation of e-casebook
  • Coordinating with other organizations to address issues of concern, including anti-Asian violence

Center on Asian Americans and the Law news

Fordham Law Student Wins Matsui Writing Competition For Second Year in a Row

Fordham Law Student Wins Matsui Writing Competition For Second Year in a Row

Fordham Law student Ben Lew ’23 has been selected as the winner of this year’s Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing Competition. Held by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational …

Judge Denny Chin Portrayed by Actor BD Wong in Film “The Courtroom”

Judge Denny Chin Portrayed by Actor BD Wong in Film “The Courtroom”

Judge Denny Chin ’78 of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit was recently portrayed by actor BD Wong in the film The Courtroom.  The film, produced by Waterwell, is …

Fordham Law Celebrates Launch of Center on Asian Americans and the Law

Fordham Law Celebrates Launch of Center on Asian Americans and the Law

The Center on Asian Americans and the Law, Fordham Law School’s newest academic center, celebrated its formal launch on November 9. Co-directed by Senior U.S. Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin …

Center on Asian Americans and the Law Covered in Singtao USA

Center on Asian Americans and the Law Covered in Singtao USA

The launch of Fordham Law’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law was covered by Singtao USA. Additionally, articles profiling Judge Denny Chin ’78 and Professor Thomas Lee were published.

Fordham Law School Launches Center For AAPI Legal Issues

Fordham Law School Launches Center For AAPI Legal Issues

The launch of Fordham Law School’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law—taking place November 9—was featured in a Law360 article. Fordham University School of Law is set to officially launch …

Fordham Law Launches Center on Asian Americans and the Law

Fordham Law Launches Center on Asian Americans and the Law

U.S. Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin ’78, Lawrence W. Pierce Distinguished Jurist in Residence, and Thomas Lee, Leitner Family Professor of International Law, spoke with National Law Journal about the …

Killing Affirmative Action Is the Easy Part

Killing Affirmative Action Is the Easy Part

Professor Thomas Lee was quoted in a Bloomberg Law column, which discussed the Supreme Court’s impending decision on affirmative action cases. Less sanguine about the prospect of maintaining affirmative action is …

Chol Soo Lee Documentary Screening Sparks Conversations

Chol Soo Lee Documentary Screening Sparks Conversations

On September 29, Fordham Law students gathered for a screening of the documentary Free Chol Soo Lee and post-viewing discussion hosted by the Center on Asian Americans and the Law.  …

Professor Thomas H. Lee Appointed to the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion

Professor Thomas H. Lee Appointed to the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion

On September 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the appointment of Leitner Family Professor of International Law Thomas H. Lee to the newly established Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity …

A Preview of Fall Events At Fordham Law

A Preview of Fall Events At Fordham Law

This fall semester, Fordham Law is excited to host a number of exciting and enriching events that will provide opportunities for students, faculty, and alumni to explore a fascinating array …

“An Incredibly Rich Subject on Many Levels”: Judge Denny Chin ’78 and Professor Thomas Lee Lead Asian Americans and the Law Teaching Workshop

“An Incredibly Rich Subject on Many Levels”: Judge Denny Chin ’78 and Professor Thomas Lee Lead Asian Americans and the Law Teaching Workshop

U.S. Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin ’78, Lawrence W. Pierce Distinguished Jurist in Residence, and Thomas Lee, Leitner Family Professor of International Law, led a lively teaching workshop on July …

Fordham Law’s APALSA Highlights Importance of AAPI Heritage Month through Events and Collaborations

Fordham Law’s APALSA Highlights Importance of AAPI Heritage Month through Events and Collaborations

Though the 2021-2022 academic year officially comes to a close in less than two weeks, Fordham Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) ensured that its members, as well …

Mina Juhn ’22 Wins Matsui Writing Competition

Mina Juhn ’22 Wins Matsui Writing Competition

Mina Juhn ’22 has won the 2022 Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing Competition for her article about Mitsuye Endo, a Japanese-American woman who was a plaintiff in a landmark trial …

Nationally Renowned Racial Justice Lawyer Addresses Anti-Asian Hate in Law School Lecture

Nationally Renowned Racial Justice Lawyer Addresses Anti-Asian Hate in Law School Lecture

Manjusha P. Kulkarni, a racial justice attorney who was named among the 100 most influential individuals in 2021 by TIME magazine, delivered the lecture “Combating Hate, Racism, and Xenophobia Against Asian …