Opening the Door for Women in the Legal Profession

Doris Keeley, LAW '59, attends the annual 1841 and Doty Loyalty Society Luncheon at 3 West Club on December 13, 2023.

Doris Keeley, Fordham Law School ’59, always knew that she was destined to make a mark as a professional. After attending Hunter College on the Upper East Side, Doris began her career at the New York State Department of Labor. While she enjoyed government work, Doris realized she wanted to pursue a legal career. Doris decided to enroll at Fordham Law at a time when few women attended; there, she made invaluable connections with her peers and gained the confidence to be a successful attorney. In 1961, a friend advised her to interview at Shearman & Sterling, a prominent New York City law firm. She was pleasantly surprised when the partner called and said she was hired.

A few years later, Doris was asked to join the legal department at Citibank, one of the firm’s primary clients. At Citibank, Doris enjoyed a 28-year-long career, making lifelong connections and friends along the way.

An only child with incredibly loving and supportive parents, Doris was born and raised in Staten Island. John, her father, was a New York City police officer for 37 years and Mary, her mother, was a professional milliner or hat maker. They wanted the best for their daughter and were always very supportive of her aspirations. Doris was introduced to her future husband, Costantino “Gus” Formicola, by his sister Marie, with whom she attended college. Gus was an engineer, widowed with three grown children, and would become her husband. Throughout their 20-year marriage, Gus was very encouraging of her career and helped her take care of her aging parents.

Now retired, Doris lives in Verona, New Jersey, and sits on the board of her building’s condo. She has been a donor to Fordham Law for almost 40 years, having notably established the John J. and Mary L. Keeley Endowed Scholarship in honor of her parents to provide financial aid to students enrolled in the evening division of Fordham Law.

Doris has also named the same endowed fund as a beneficiary of her estate, ensuring students will receive critical financial support for years to come. Of her time at Fordham Law, Doris cannot overstate that much of her success is thanks to the school, which “opened the door for many women lawyers like myself.”

Please consider joining Doris in the 1841 Society by including Fordham in your estate plan. Our team would also be happy to work with you to create a blended gift like Doris's that provides both current and long-term support to an initiative of your choice.