That Further Shore
A Memoir of Irish Roots and American Promise
Published on 21. April 2020
456 pages
978-0-8232-8736-9 (ISBN)
Description
A rare and evocative memoir of a respected constitutional scholar, dedicated public servant, political reformer, and facilitator of peace in the land of his ancestors.
John D. Feerick's life has all the elements of a modern Horatio Alger story: the poor boy who achieves success by dint of his hard work. But Feerick brought other elements to that classic American success story: his deep religious faith, his integrity, and his paramount concern for social justice. In his memoir, That Further Shore, Feerick shares his inspiring story, from his humble beginnings: born to immigrant parents in the South Bronx, going on to practice law, participating in framing the U.S. Constitution's Twenty-Fifth Amendment, serving as dean of Fordham Law, and serving as President of the New York City Bar Association and chair of state commissions on government integrity.
Beginning with Feerick's ancestry and early life experiences, including a detailed genealogical description of Feerick's Irish ancestors in County Mayo and his laborious quest to identify them and their relationships with one another, the book then presents an evocative survey of the now-vanished world of a working-class Irish Catholic neighborhood in the South Bronx. Feerick's account of how he financed his education from elementary school through law school is a moving tribute to the immigrant work ethic that he inherited from his parents and shared with many young Americans of his generation. The book then traces Feerick's career as a lawyer and how he gave up a lucrative partnership in a prestigious New York City law firm at an early age to accept the office of Dean of the Fordham School of Law at a fraction of his previous income because he felt it was time to give back something to the world.
John Feerick has consistently shown his commitment to the law as a vocation as well as a profession by his efforts to protect the rights of the poor, to enable minorities to achieve their rightful places in American society, and to combat political corruption. That Further Shore is an inspiring memoir of how one humble and decent man helped to make America a more just and equitable society.
John D. Feerick's life has all the elements of a modern Horatio Alger story: the poor boy who achieves success by dint of his hard work. But Feerick brought other elements to that classic American success story: his deep religious faith, his integrity, and his paramount concern for social justice. In his memoir, That Further Shore, Feerick shares his inspiring story, from his humble beginnings: born to immigrant parents in the South Bronx, going on to practice law, participating in framing the U.S. Constitution's Twenty-Fifth Amendment, serving as dean of Fordham Law, and serving as President of the New York City Bar Association and chair of state commissions on government integrity.
Beginning with Feerick's ancestry and early life experiences, including a detailed genealogical description of Feerick's Irish ancestors in County Mayo and his laborious quest to identify them and their relationships with one another, the book then presents an evocative survey of the now-vanished world of a working-class Irish Catholic neighborhood in the South Bronx. Feerick's account of how he financed his education from elementary school through law school is a moving tribute to the immigrant work ethic that he inherited from his parents and shared with many young Americans of his generation. The book then traces Feerick's career as a lawyer and how he gave up a lucrative partnership in a prestigious New York City law firm at an early age to accept the office of Dean of the Fordham School of Law at a fraction of his previous income because he felt it was time to give back something to the world.
John Feerick has consistently shown his commitment to the law as a vocation as well as a profession by his efforts to protect the rights of the poor, to enable minorities to achieve their rightful places in American society, and to combat political corruption. That Further Shore is an inspiring memoir of how one humble and decent man helped to make America a more just and equitable society.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
NY
United States
Illustrations
25
File size
21,49 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-8232-8736-9 (9780823287369)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
04/2020
Fordham University Press
€86.00
Shipment within 10-20 days
Persons
John D. Feerick (Author)
John Feerick is a professor of law at Fordham Law School and the occupant of the Sidney C. Norris Chair of Law in Public Service. He teaches and writes in areas of the Constitution, legal ethics, and conflict resolution. His books include the third edition of The Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Its Complete History and Applications, and From Failing Hands: The Story of Presidential Succession, which was helpful to the framers of the Constitution's Twenty-Fifth Amendment.
Thomas J. Shelley (Foreword By)
Monsignor Thomas J. Shelley, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, is Emeritus Professor of Church History at Fordham University. His publications include The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York: 1808-2008 and Fordham, A History of the Jesuit University of New York: 1841-2003 (Fordham).
John Feerick is a professor of law at Fordham Law School and the occupant of the Sidney C. Norris Chair of Law in Public Service. He teaches and writes in areas of the Constitution, legal ethics, and conflict resolution. His books include the third edition of The Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Its Complete History and Applications, and From Failing Hands: The Story of Presidential Succession, which was helpful to the framers of the Constitution's Twenty-Fifth Amendment.
Thomas J. Shelley (Foreword By)
Monsignor Thomas J. Shelley, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, is Emeritus Professor of Church History at Fordham University. His publications include The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York: 1808-2008 and Fordham, A History of the Jesuit University of New York: 1841-2003 (Fordham).
Content
Foreword by Msgr. Thomas J. Shelley | xi
Preface | xv
Introduction | 1
Part I: My Family and Its Irish History
1 What's in a Name? | 9
2 Mom's and Pop's Origins | 14
3 Mom's and Pop's Childhood | 23
Part II: A New Home in America
4 An American Odyssey | 29
5 Settling in the Bronx | 38
6 Growing Up in an Irish Immigrant Family | 46
7 Uncle Pat, Our Life- Long Companion | 58
8 Memories of the Nearby House That Ruth Built | 68
Part III: My Salad Days
9 St. Angela Merici Grammar School, 1942-1950 | 75
10 Bishop Dubois High School, 1950-1954 | 80
11 Fordham College, 1954-1958 | 83
12 Fordham Law School, 1958-1961 | 90
13 Meeting the Love of My Life: Emalie | 97
Part IV: Career as a Lawyer
14 Learning in Part- Time Jobs | 107
15 Joining a Small Law Firm-Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom | 113
16 Leaving Skadden | 126
17 Becoming a Law School Dean: An Overview | 132
18 Commitments, Challenges, and Special Moments | 147
19 The Many Hats a Dean Wears | 154
20 Fordham Law Goes to Ireland | 162
21 Leaving the Deanship | 171
22 Becoming a Classroom Teacher | 176
Part V: The Vocation of Service
23 Serving Others | 187
24 The Voluntary Bar | 194
25 Public Service: From Carey to Koch to Cuomo to Bloomberg to Kaye | 199
26 Boards of Not-for-Profit, Charitable, and Public Institutions | 208
27 The Catholic Church | 213
Part VI: Peacemaking and Problem- Solving
28 Learning the Art of Conflict Resolution | 223
29 Conflicts in the Public Eye | 229
Part VII: Constitutional Endeavors
30 Presidential Succession | 239
31 The Electoral College System | 270
32 Other Constitutional Opportunities | 280
Part VIII: The World of Government Ethics
33 The New York State Commission on Government Integrity | 289
34 New York State Ethics Commission | 297
35 The New York State Public Integrity Commission | 304
Part IX: Marriage and Family
36 Our Growing Family | 315
37 Deaths in the Family | 324
38 Roses in December-Rediscovering Mom and Pop | 335
39 My Family: Immediate and Extended | 343
Part X: On a Personal Note
40 What I Learned | 353
41 Advice to My Grandchildren | 358
Appendixes
A Non-Feerick Surnames Associated with My Family | 365
B My Dean's Reports | 368
C Remarks on Receiving the ABA Medal | 380
Acknowledgments | 387
Notes | 389
Index | 419
Photographs follow pages 142 and 302
Preface | xv
Introduction | 1
Part I: My Family and Its Irish History
1 What's in a Name? | 9
2 Mom's and Pop's Origins | 14
3 Mom's and Pop's Childhood | 23
Part II: A New Home in America
4 An American Odyssey | 29
5 Settling in the Bronx | 38
6 Growing Up in an Irish Immigrant Family | 46
7 Uncle Pat, Our Life- Long Companion | 58
8 Memories of the Nearby House That Ruth Built | 68
Part III: My Salad Days
9 St. Angela Merici Grammar School, 1942-1950 | 75
10 Bishop Dubois High School, 1950-1954 | 80
11 Fordham College, 1954-1958 | 83
12 Fordham Law School, 1958-1961 | 90
13 Meeting the Love of My Life: Emalie | 97
Part IV: Career as a Lawyer
14 Learning in Part- Time Jobs | 107
15 Joining a Small Law Firm-Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom | 113
16 Leaving Skadden | 126
17 Becoming a Law School Dean: An Overview | 132
18 Commitments, Challenges, and Special Moments | 147
19 The Many Hats a Dean Wears | 154
20 Fordham Law Goes to Ireland | 162
21 Leaving the Deanship | 171
22 Becoming a Classroom Teacher | 176
Part V: The Vocation of Service
23 Serving Others | 187
24 The Voluntary Bar | 194
25 Public Service: From Carey to Koch to Cuomo to Bloomberg to Kaye | 199
26 Boards of Not-for-Profit, Charitable, and Public Institutions | 208
27 The Catholic Church | 213
Part VI: Peacemaking and Problem- Solving
28 Learning the Art of Conflict Resolution | 223
29 Conflicts in the Public Eye | 229
Part VII: Constitutional Endeavors
30 Presidential Succession | 239
31 The Electoral College System | 270
32 Other Constitutional Opportunities | 280
Part VIII: The World of Government Ethics
33 The New York State Commission on Government Integrity | 289
34 New York State Ethics Commission | 297
35 The New York State Public Integrity Commission | 304
Part IX: Marriage and Family
36 Our Growing Family | 315
37 Deaths in the Family | 324
38 Roses in December-Rediscovering Mom and Pop | 335
39 My Family: Immediate and Extended | 343
Part X: On a Personal Note
40 What I Learned | 353
41 Advice to My Grandchildren | 358
Appendixes
A Non-Feerick Surnames Associated with My Family | 365
B My Dean's Reports | 368
C Remarks on Receiving the ABA Medal | 380
Acknowledgments | 387
Notes | 389
Index | 419
Photographs follow pages 142 and 302
