In a significant move for one of the United States’ most influential legal organizations, Matthew Diller, the former dean of Fordham University School of Law and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, has been nominated to serve as the next president of the New York City Bar Association. This high-profile nomination, announced by the City Bar’s Nominating Committee in early January 2026, highlights Diller’s decades of leadership in legal education, public service, and
professional advocacy within the legal community.
A Historic Nomination for the City Bar
If elected at the City Bar’s annual meeting on May 19, 2026, Diller will succeed current President Muhammad U. Faridi, whose two-year term began in May 2024. The presidency of the New York City Bar Association is a prestigious role that helps shape the organization’s priorities in legal reform, access to justice, and professional standards across New York and beyond.
Diller’s nomination is noteworthy not only because of his distinguished career but also because he is the first law school dean or academic to be nominated as City Bar president since the early 1990s, when John D. Feerick then dean of Fordham Law School held the position.
“This is a critical moment for the legal profession,” Diller said in commenting on the nomination. “The mission of the Association has never been more important than it is today,” he added, underscoring his commitment to strengthening the rule of law, broadening legal access, and focusing on fairness across the justice system.
Distinguished Career in Legal Education and Service
Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Matthew Diller has established himself as a leading voice in
legal education and social justice. At Fordham Law, where he served as dean from 2015 until 2024, Diller focused on
driving excellence in legal scholarship while broadening opportunities for students to engage in public service and clinical training. Under his leadership, the law school expanded its emphasis on social welfare law, access to justice initiatives, and civic education.
Before his tenure at Fordham, Diller served as dean of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law from 2009 to 2015, continuing his commitment to legal education and institutional leadership. Early in his career, he worked as a staff attorney in the civil appeals and law reform unit of The Legal Aid Society, where he
litigated on behalf of low-income and vulnerable clients.
Diller’s academic contributions extend well beyond administrative leadership. A respected legal scholar, he has written and lectured extensively on constitutional law, social welfare policy, disability law, and issues tied to public assistance and federal benefits programs. His scholarship has appeared in major law reviews and he has brought
academic insights to real-world legal reform debates.
Leadership Roles Within the City Bar
Diller’s nomination reflects his long engagement with the City Bar. He currently serves as Chair of the Independence of Lawyers and Judges Task Force, a key leadership role focused on preserving legal ethics and judicial integrity. Additionally, he has been a vice president of the City Bar and a member of its Board of Directors, where he has participated in committees dealing with administrative law, civic education, and federal courts.
His service to the association goes back many years, including past recognition from the City Bar itself: in 1991, the organization honored him with a legal services award for his work in public law and advocacy.
Broader Legal Community Impact
Outside of direct City Bar involvement, Diller is a member of the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice and chairs its Committee on Law School Involvement, which seeks to deepen collaboration between legal education institutions and justice initiatives. He has also served on boards of major legal organizations, including Legal Services NYC, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, and Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS).
His professional leadership extends into statewide judicial professionalism efforts through service on the New York State Judicial Institute on Professionalism in the Law and as a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. These roles reflect Diller’s ongoing commitment to elevating standards within the legal profession.
What the Nomination Means for the City Bar
The New York City Bar Association founded in 1870 and with more than 23,000 members plays a central role in shaping legal practice, policy discussions, and public interest law in New York City, the United States, and internationally. Its initiatives span continuing legal education, pro bono services, policy advocacy, and judicial evaluations.
Diller’s potential presidency comes at a time when legal communities are grappling with evolving challenges related to access to justice, judicial independence, and adapting to technological changes in legal practice. His deep experience in legal education, advocacy, and professional governance positions him to lead the City Bar into its next chapter if the members confirm his nomination at the spring meeting.
In addition to Diller, the City Bar’s Nominating Committee also announced its recommended slate of vice presidents, board directors, and executive officers reflecting a broader leadership transition aimed at maintaining momentum on the association’s strategic goals.
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