About
Susan Scafidi is a Professor at Fordham University School of Law and the Academic Director of the Fashion Law Institute, which she founded with support from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. She is internationally recognized as the first professor to offer a course in Fashion Law and for her leadership in establishing this academic field. Her work bridges legal scholarship with practical industry applications, and she frequently provides expert commentary to major media outlets on fashion-related legal issues.
Professor Scafidi received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her law degree from Yale Law School. She further pursued graduate studies in legal history at both Berkeley and the University of Chicago, and clerked for Judge Morris S. Arnold of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, a distinguished legal historian.
Scafidi's research focuses on the intersection of law and fashion, with particular expertise in intellectual property as it applies to the fashion industry. She has testified before Congress regarding legal protection for fashion designs and continues to work with lawmakers and industry leaders on this and related issues. Her scholarship extends to cultural property, international law, trusts & estates, and legal history, demonstrating the breadth of her legal expertise. She has been instrumental in shaping the discourse around fashion law through her book 'Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law' (2005) and her blog Counterfeit Chic.
- Recognized as one of the American Bar Association's top 100 blogs for Counterfeit Chic
- Testified before Congress on fashion design protection legislation
- Advised on the Fashion Workers Act implementation
Before joining Fordham, Professor Scafidi held tenured positions at Southern Methodist University in both the law and history faculties, and has taught at Yale, Georgetown, and Cardozo law schools. Her interdisciplinary background enables her to approach fashion law from multiple perspectives, making significant contributions to this emerging field. She has been quoted extensively in major publications including The New York Times, Women's Wear Daily, Bloomberg, and Vogue Business on topics ranging from intellectual property protection to the legal implications of social media platforms for fashion marketing.
