Message From the Dean

Why law? It’s a question that family, friends, and advisors have likely asked you. Maybe you’ve even asked it yourself.

As a lawyer, as an educator, and as dean of St. John’s Law for over a decade, it’s a question I think about, and talk about, often. While there is no single, right answer, one that I return to again and again is: Law matters.

Law matters. Recent events put that truth in sharp focus, as a global pandemic upended lives and livelihoods and as protestors nationwide called out systemic racism and racial injustice in their many forms.

For each and every issue that individuals and communities care about—racism, immigration, climate change, criminal justice, political reform, religious liberty, freedom of expression, and so many others—law is at the center. And, because law matters, lawyers matter. It is lawyers who have the ability—indeed, the license—to use the power of the law to bring about justice.

At St. John’s Law, you’ll find a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community of students, professors, and administrators who are here to help you become a highly skilled lawyer who matters to your clients, to your colleagues, to your profession, and to society.

These pages will introduce you to the Law School. You’ll read about the many ways we prepare you for success: from teaching you the fundamentals of legal analysis, legal doctrine, and legal writing to offering you a range of hands-on learning opportunities to build on that foundation as you solve real-world legal problems.

You’ll also read about our distinctively successful approach to our students’ career development. From day one you’ll partner with a career counselor to identify and pursue a career path that excites and engages you.

We’re proud to share outcomes that matter most to our students, and that illustrate the great value of a St. John’s Law degree. Our bar passage and full-time employment rates continue to be among the highest in New York and the entire country. And we remain one of the most affordable private schools in the state.

As you read about some of the impressive lawyers in our worldwide alumni family, you’ll see how a St. John’s Law degree can help you achieve at the highest levels at law firms, in public service, and in business. Wherever they practice, St. John’s lawyers understand how and why law matters, and they use their knowledge and skills to ensure that justice is truly accessible and available to all.

I look forward to connecting with you as you explore how St. John’s Law can put you on the path to a rewarding and meaningful career, and I invite you to connect with us by sitting in on a law class remotely, talking to our current students and faculty, and continuing the conversation with our admissions team.

Warm regards,

Michael A. Simons Dean and John V. Brennan Professor of Law and Ethics @DeanMikeSimons