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For Amanda (Mandy) Howerton-Fox ’27, deciding to attend law school was not just a career shift—it was a natural continuation of her lifelong commitment to advocacy. A former teacher of the deaf, Mandy’s passion for special education and disability rights first led her to pursue a PhD and become a tenured professor of education. Now, she has embarked on a new path at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at �黨��ý, with a goal of effecting change through law and policy while advocating for people directly.

“Both of my parents were first-generation college students, and I am the first in my family to earn a doctorate and attend law school,” Mandy shared. “I pursued a PhD to drive change in deaf education through research, teaching, and advocacy, but I realized I wanted to have a more direct impact. That’s what led me to �黨��ý Haub Law.”

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Mandy’s experiences as an educator and through her educational pursuits have given her a unique perspective as a law student. Today, she balances her legal studies with continued advocacy and academic leadership. Mandy is on the editorial board of the American Annals of the Deaf, one of the two premier academic journals in deaf education, and is also a reviewer for the American Board of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialists. With a strong passion for education, she is an Adjunct Professor at Iona University and co-directs the Interdisciplinary Advanced Certificate in Working with Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and their Families (IACD): an advanced certificate program for special educators and speech language pathologists who want to work in early intervention with deaf and hard of hearing children. Impressively, Mandy co-founded the program with a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Having just wrapped up her 1L year, Mandy has found �黨��ý Haub Law to be “an incredibly warm and supportive environment with a deeply engaged student body and an impressive range of clinical opportunities.” She has found Professor Randolph McLaughlin and Professor Camila Bustos particularly inspiring, Professor Leslie Tenzer an extremely dedicated and caring educator, and even found an interest she did not expect in property law after taking the course with Professor Margot Pollans – a subject she now describes as fascinating. “There is no shortage of amazing teachers at the Law School. They are all incredibly supportive and engaging.” Mandy has also found community within several student organizations. “I serve as the Vice President for the Public Interest Law Students Organization (PILSO) and Older Wiser Law Students (OWLS). A student organization like OWLS has been an opportunity to connect with other career changers who have come to the law with clear intentions and who are also juggling work and family responsibilities. I enjoy the energy of my younger classmates, and it’s been equally nice to meet law students with shared life experiences. I have also joined the Law School’s Honor Board.”

Mandy will also work as a research assistant for both Professor Michael Mushlin and Professor Camila Bustos and she has joined the competitive �黨��ý Law Review. This summer Mandy will participate in an internship position with NYU’s Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law. This fall, she has accepted an externship opportunity at the Hudson Valley Justice Center. Next summer, she will work as a summer associate with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. “My journey at �黨��ý Haub Law has just begun and I am excited to see where it takes me,” said Mandy. “Right now, my passion lies in civil rights litigation, and I would be thrilled with any position that allows me to advocate for marginalized individuals and groups.” With her unique background and ambition, Mandy is poised to make a lasting impact in the legal field wherever her path may lead.