2 | OUTCOMES THAT MATTER MOST 4 | QUEENS: THE WORLD’S BOROUGH 6 | A POWERFUL ALUMNI NETWORK 8 | PATHWAYS TO THE PROFESSION 10 | ACADEMIC CENTERS 12 | MEET OUR FACULTY 14 | INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM 16 | LEARN BY DOING 18 | GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES 20 | MAKE A DIFFERENCE CONTENTS 22 | STUDENT LIFE 24 | DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY 26 | ADMISSION AND SCHOLARSHIPS
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Practice questions in each subject area tested on the bar exam
As you continue your legal studies, you’ll benefit from an upper-level curriculum designed around different career pathways. You’ll gain practical knowledge taking advanced classes; build key lawyering skills in clinics, internships, and externships; and learn the art of advocacy through the Law School’s co-curricular trial and appellate programs.
A bar prep course that starts right after graduation These are just some of the ways that St. John’s Law makes your success our top priority, and helps you achieve outcomes that matter most to you.
OUTCOMES that MATTER MOST
At the start of your first year, you’ll attend our annual Student-Alumni Career Conference, where you’ll meet St. John’s Law graduates and learn about their work in different practice areas. The conversation continues in our 1L Professional Development course.
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When the time comes for you to prepare for the bar exam, we’ve got you covered. St. John’s Law has a dedicated bar prep faculty and partners with bar review leader BARBRI to offer students unmatched support. As part of your law school fees, you get:
Early access to BARBRI’s acclaimed bar prep program, including the 1L mastery series, MPRE guides, and other resources in bar-tested subjects
t St. John’s Law, we’re focused on your success. That’s why you’ll have your own career counselor from day one to help you identify a professional path that interests you, choose right-fit courses and activities, and pursue exciting job opportunities.
Business&Industry Public Interest & Public Service Clerkships Private Practice 15% 57%23% 5% VIEWBOOK 2023 | 3 *Class of 2021 Employment Distribution
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QUEENS: BOROUGHWORLD’Sthe
Mix in nearby neighborhoods that regularly top ‘hottest places to live’ lists; worldclass shopping; fan-favorite sports teams; pulsating nightlife; a vibrant art scene; and an incomparable array of global cuisines and it’s no wonder that the popular Lonely Planet guide has named Queens its number one travel Publicdestination.transportation is convenient to campus and quickly takes you to Manhattan, the hub of international legal practice and commerce.
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t. John’s Law is a New York City institution, with a Law School community that’s as richly unique as Queens, our “hometown” and the city’s most diverse borough. St. John’s 100-acre campus has a park-like feel with green lawns, flowers and fountains, and majestic views of the Manhattan skyline.
2022 data VIEWBOOK 2023 l 5
Charles Akinboyewa ‘19
Thomas Cahill ‘90
Adam Hakki ‘97 Naffie Lamin ‘17 Shearman & Sterling
John Coster IV ‘15
A POWERFUL ALUMNI Network
Kaitlin Decker ‘17
Richard Hauser ‘20
Reshma Shah ‘11
Your education at the Law School will set in motion a life in the law that will be dynamic and sustaining for years to come. If our past graduates are any measure, your options will be limited only by your aspirations.
Disney (Corporate)Duane
Ifeoma Onuora ‘08
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Their influence extends from New York City, across the globe, and back home to St. John’s, where they support our students as adjunct professors, as advisors to student organizations, as guest lecturers, as program participants, as mentors, as donors to the Law School, and as employers.
s a St. John’s Law student, you’ll have the support of 17,000 dedicated alumni who are success stories. They include state governors and other influential politicians; distinguished judges; leaders of preeminent international law firms and corporations; pioneering global entrepreneurs; and directors of nonprofit organizations.
St. John's Law alumni work across legal and business sectors and settings. This is just a small sampling of alumni who work together at firms, offices, and organizations. To learn more about a specific employer featured on this page, scan their QR code.
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James Pitaro ‘94
Kelly McDermott (Eder) ‘17 Morris
Pierre Georges Bonnefil ‘88
Sharlene Disla ‘19
Adam Myren ‘19
Jeffrey Danile ‘00
Thomas Ridges ‘98
Leighanne Daly ‘18
Chanel Smith ‘15
Lisa Schreibersdorf ‘84
Gabrielle Pretto ‘09
Maria Martinez ‘11
Bronx Manhattan Queens Staten Island
NYC Attorney’sDistrictOfficesBrooklyn
Ashley Kloepfer ‘11
Allie Cabibbo ‘19
Vince La Padula ‘02
Allyson Rivard ‘20
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BrooklynServicesDefender The
Shannon Dempsey ‘19
Jessica Wang ‘21
Kevin Gunther ‘17
JP
Wanda DeOliveira ‘92
Lauren Bisogno ‘20 Jonathan Visotzky ‘11 Hannah Yu ‘09
Olayemi Olurin ‘18 Morgan Chase Legal Aid Society
The Legal Aid SocietyTh
Matthew Cleaver ‘21
Jordan Costa ‘05
Janet Squitier ‘87
you’ll chart your
to a fulfilling career 8 | STJOHNS.EDU/LAW *All information current as of student’s graduation
Ryan Bravata ‘20 ALABAMANicoleCamacho ‘20 PUERTO RICO Alysha Preston ‘16 NEW JERSEY St. John’s School of Law 1L Summer SummerJonesAssociateDay 2L Courses Perspectives On Justice 1 Evidence Criminal Procedure: Adjudication Drafting: Judicial Opinions Criminal Procedure: Investigation Perspectives On Justice 2 1L Summer Judicial Intern Hon. Robert J. Miller NYS Appellate Division Second Dept. 1L Courses Civil IntroductionConstitutionalProcedureLawContractsCriminalLawtoLawLawyeringLegalWritingPropertyTorts START! 1L Summer Judicial Intern Hon. John K. Sherwood U.S. Bankruptcy Court District Of New Jersey 1L Summer Judicial Intern Hon. Gerald Lebovits New York State Civil Court Christy Li ‘21 NEW PATHWAYSYORK to the PROFESSION A
lready know the area of the law that interests you? Great! Have no clue? That’s great, too! At St. John’s Law, we’ll help you discover a pathway to the profession that’s just right for you. With knowledge gained in foundational classes and focused electives, experience built in clinics and internships, skills honed through journals and co-curriculars, and the support of our Career Development Office and alumni community, path
2L Courses BankruptcyEvidenceAdvocacy Clinic 1 Scholarly Research & Writing Bankruptcy Advocacy Clinic 2 Business AccountingOrganizationsForLawyers 2L Courses Trusts & Estates Consumr Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic Professional Responsibility Business CounterterrorismOrganizationsLaw 2L Courses Introduction to Intellectual Property Survey Course BusinessComplexCopyrightsOrganizationsLitigation Colloquium in the Law: Intellectual Property Extern: Garvey Schubert Barer Extern: Atlantic Records 3L Courses Advanced Trial Advocacy: Jury Selection Prosecution Clinic 1 Advanced Interviewing & Counseling Deposition Practice Pre-trial Advocacy Journal of Civil Rights & Economic Development 3L Courses Real Estate Transactions Trial Advocacy Comparative Legal Systems: Germany Counterterrorism Law Advanced Legal Research 3L Courses Drafting Contracts Trial Advocacy 2L Summer Law Clerk Fragomen, Del Rey,Bersen, & Loewy LLP 2L Summer SummerJonesAssociateDay 2L Summer Summer Legal Intern Apple Inc. 2L Summer Summer Legal Intern Bronx County District Attorney’s Of ce Post Grad! BakerAssociateMcKenzie Post Grad! Assistant District Attorney Manhattan District Attorney's Of ce JonesAssociateDay Post Grad! 3L Courses Law Through Film Law And Interpretation Real Estate Transactions Basic Federal Personal Income Tax Securities Arbitration Clinic Associate Fragomen, Del ReyBersen, & Loewy LLP Post Grad! VIEWBOOK 2023 l 9 Administrative Law and Public Policy CivilBankruptcyandCommercial Litigation Civil Dispute Resolution and Mediation Civil ConsumerClerkshipsRights Commerical,LawCorporate, and Securities CriminalLaw EntertainmentLaw and Sports Law Environmental Law Family Law and Children’s Law Health Care Law Human Rights International Legal Practice Intellectual Property Labor and Employment Law TrustsTaxRealProsecutionEstateLaw&Estates Our #1 focus at St. John’s Law is helping each and every student achieve success in their career. That’s why we designed an approach to student career development called Pathways to the Profession that includes:
The Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy supports the Law School’s commitment to producing the next generation of outstanding courtroom lawyers. It’s home to students, faculty, alumni, and friends interested in all forms of advocacy: civil and criminal; trial and appellate; and federal, state, and global. You can take advantage of the Center’s innovative curriculum, participate in its nationally-ranked trial and appellate advocacy programs, and network with its faculty and alumni.
Center StudiesBankruptcyfor
hrough the Law School’s 12 academic centers, you’ll engage with leading practitioners and scholars who are addressing real-world legal issues.
A Distinguished Histor y. A Visionar y Future.
Center for EmploymentLaborLaw and
Established in 2022, the Center for Race and Law provides opportunities for students, academics, practitioners, and community members to examine race and law. The Center promotes critical examinations of race and idea exchange through lectures, symposia, dialogue, and scholarship.
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Center for Bankruptcy Studies encompasses specialized courses, a clinic, internships, externships, and more. The Center’s student-run journal, the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, is the leading scholarly journal on bankruptcy law. The Center also hosts the prestigious Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition and helps to coordinate the Law School’s unrivaled LL.M. in Bankruptcy program. Interested in clerking for a judge? St. John’s Law has a bankruptcy career specialist who excels in federal clerkship placements.
The Center for Labor and Employment Law (CLEL) offers a dynamic forum for exploring the practice and theory of labor and employment law and oversees a curriculum that includes courses and fieldwork. Through CLEL, you’ll engage with labor and employment professionals at conferences, symposia, workshops, and other programs. With the generous support of CLEL alumni and friends, you’ll also have a range of opportunities to gain practical skills, work experience, and professional connections.
Through curricular offerings, study abroad programs, and experiential learning opportunities, St. John’s Center for International and Comparative Law (CICL) helps you prepare for today’s global practice. CICL hosts academic symposia, and upper-level students can apply to become CICL fellows who work closely with professors on research projects and on their own scholarly work. CICL also oversees the publication of the New York International Law Review, a student-edited publication of the New York State Bar Association’s International Law
Center for Race and Law
Our Center for Law and Religion (CLR) fosters the study of law and religion from domestic, international, and comparative perspectives. CLR hosts conferences, colloquiums, workshops, and other programs. Guests and speakers have included Pope Francis, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, and the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, as well as prominent academics, judges, and journalists. In addition to coordinating the Law School’s law and religion curriculum, CLR produces the Law and Religion Forum blog and the Legal Spirits podcast with help from its students fellows.
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ACADEMIC CENTERS
Writing Center
Throughstipend.the
Whatever practice area you’re interested in, the Hugh L. Carey Center for Dispute Resolution will help you build the problem-solving, advocacy, and dispute resolution skills you need to be an effective lawyer today. The Carey Center is home to the student-led Dispute Resolution Society and offers a full suite of courses, conferences, and co-curricular activities. Along with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Carey Center organizes and hosts the annual Securities Dispute Resolution Triathlon competition. Together, these offerings make the Law School a leader in the growing field of alternative dispute resolution.
The Law School’s Writing Center will help you develop your research and writing skills and excel in law student writing competitions on a range of topics—from administrative law to religious freedom, from labor law to women’s rights, and from intellectual property to gun control. Some competitions offer generous cash prizes and others publish the winning papers. No matter what the prize, winning a writing competition is a great way to hone your writing skills, explore a new area of law, and enhance your resume.
The Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law prepares aspiring real estate attorneys for practice through exceptional academic programs, unique career development opportunities, and special events. You’ll broaden your knowledge of real estate issues while gaining practical experience and expanding your professional networks. The Mattone Institute coordinates the Law School’s innovative real estate law curriculum, which includes advanced courses taught by leading practitioners. It also sponsors a Real Estate Law Fellowship Program, which gives upper-level St. John’s Law students a unique opportunity to pursue a unified course of study in real estate law with an annual
If you’re looking to use your legal education to help underserved and marginalized individuals and communities, the Law School’s Public Interest Center (PIC) is here for you. Along with its student group, the Public Interest Law Student Association, PIC organizes service and training days as well as the annual Public Interest Auction, which raises funds for Summer Public Interest Fellowships, spring break service trips, and other public interest initiatives at St. John’s Law. PIC’s Pro Bono Scholars Program allows students to devote their last semester of study to pro bono service and take the bar exam early, in February. PIC can also help you secure externships, internships, and employment in the public interest.
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For over two decades, the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights has been a force at St. John’s Law, conducting legal studies, research, and outreach on matters affecting the rights of underrepresented people. Students on its Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development address pressing social and political issues. And its affiliated student group, the Coalition for Social Justice, facilitates discussions and explorations of racial and social justice. To further its mission, each year the Center offers its Ron Brown Scholarship to a select group of incoming students who have overcome economic, social, or educational disadvantage.
Intellectual Property Law Center’s (IPLC) programs and initiatives, you’ll connect with, and learn from, leading authorities in the field. Courses cover patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrecy, privacy, and more key topics. The IPLC and its affiliated student groups—the Intellectual Property Law Society and the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Society— host symposia, conferences, and roundtable discussions throughout the year. As a participant in the biennial Intellectual Property Law Colloquium, you’ll engage deeply with cutting-edge legal scholarship. The IPLC can also help you secure externships, internships, and employment in a wide variety of IP, entertainment, fashion, and related areas.
CHRISTOPHER BORGEN
Law faculty!
ADRIÁN E. ALVAREZ
MEET OUR FACULTY
RENÉE NICOLE ALLEN
Prior to teaching, Professor Alvarez litigated special education, housing, and health care access cases on behalf of patient families at community health clinics in Washington, D.C. Professor Alvarez was also the Goldberg-Robb Attorney at Public Justice, P.C., a public interest law firm, and a federal law clerk to Hon. David Briones in the Western District of Texas (El Paso Division). Prior to working as an attorney, Professor Alvarez was a humanitarian aid work with Catholic Relief Services in Freetown, Sierra Leone, after the country’s civil war, and in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, in the year and a half following the 2004 Tsunami. Professor Alvarez focuses his scholarship on disability and its intersection with immigration and family law.
Dean Simons is the longest-tenured dean in New York State. As Dean of the Law School and the John V. Brennan Professor of Law and Ethics, Dean Simons teaches in the areas of criminal law and evidence and has been recognized multiple times by students as Professor of the Year. He has been a frequent lecturer to the bench and bar on both topics. In addition to his work at St. John’s Law, he currently serves on the New York City Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary and the New York State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct.
Disability, Immigration, and Family Law
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Constitutional Law
Scan here to meet the full St.
Professor Barrett has taught Criminal Procedure: Investigations, Constitutional Law, and a seminar on Nuremberg & Its Legacies in Law & History. He is the Elizabeth S. Lenna Fellow and a Director at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, New York. Before joining the the faculty, he was Counselor to Inspector General Michael R. Bromwich at the U.S. Department of Justice and was Associate Counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh (Iran/Contra). Professor Barrett speaks regularly about the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Jackson, Nuremberg, FDR, and other legal and historical topics in public venues and to community, campus, religious, corporate, legal profession, and other audiences and groups throughout the United States and abroad. He is also a national media commentator on legal and historical issues. John’s
Professor Borgen teaches, or has taught, International Law, National Security and the Law, International Finance, the International Law Colloquium, the Law of the European Union, the Seminar on States and Sovereignty, Contracts, and Space Law, among other courses. He is the co-founder of Opinio Juris, a blog devoted to discussion, debate, and reports concerning international law. Professor Borgen was named a core expert for the Manual on the International Law of Military Space Operations, colloquially known as The Woomera Manual. Following on previous multinational manual projects concerning the laws applicable to naval warfare, air and missile warfare, and cyber-operations, this project brings together international lawyers and technical experts from around the world to develop a model manual that will objectively articulate and clarify existing international law applicable to military space operations. Professor Borgen received the Order of Civic Merit, the highest honor awarded to a civilian by the Republic of Moldova, for his work on the ongoing separatist conflict there.
Criminal Law and Evidence
Race and Social Justice
As a first-generation attorney, Professor Allen is deeply committed to improving access to legal education for historically minoritized groups. She teaches a variety of legal writing courses as well as upper divisions electives such as The Music & The Movement: Race, Rhythm, and Social Justice and Comparative Social Justice: Civil Rights in Italy and the United States. Her most recent law review article, “Get Out: Structural Racism and Academic Terror,” explores racism in the legal academy, and she is currently working on a paper titled “White Gazes in White Spaces: Teaching, Scholarship, and Service While Black.”
A. SIMONS
Space Law and International Law
Dean and John V. Brennan Professor of Law and Ethics
JOHN Q. BARRETT
MIRIAM CHERRY Labor and Employment
As the Law School’s Dean Harold F. McNiece Professor of Law, Cheryl Wade teaches Issues of Race, Gender and Law, Business Organizations, Corporate Governance and Accountability, and Race and Business. She also co-teaches a highly sought-after, upper-level elective, Lynching: Legal & Dispute Resolution Responses to Violence and co-authored the book Predatory Lending and The Destruction of the African American Dream. Before attending law school, Professor Wade was a teacher of Spanish and bilingual education for the Board of Education of the City of New York. She is a member of the American Law Institute, a national organization of prominent judges, lawyers, and academics who work to clarify, modernize, and reform the law. With Professor Sheldon Evans, she co-hosts the Black Author’s Book Club, which discusses books written by Black authors that highlight the Black experience in America and across the African diaspora.
Criminal Law and Immigration
Experiental Education and Legal Writing
A prolific scholar, Professor Cherry is the author of over 40 law review articles concerning employment, business, and contract law. She has published several books on labor and work, and is also the author of a contracts casebook, Contracts in the Real World. Professor Cherry has served as a visiting researcher with the United Nations –International Labor Office in Geneva, Switzerland, and is currently writing a report on the employment status of gig workers in the United States. Prior to academia, she clerked for the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. As our newest faculty memeber, Professor Cherry is excited to teach students about labor and employment law issues within an institution guided by social justice principles.
RACHEL SMITH
CHERYL L. WADE
Professor Duryea is a legal historian who researches human rights, comparative constitutional development, and administrative law. She is particularly interested in institutional constraints on executive power during emergencies, including specialized courts and non-governmental actors. Her work has appeared in leading law journals and the popular press. Professor Duryea teaches Administrative Law, Legal History, and Introduction to Law. She clerked for Hon. Edwin Cameron of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Before law school, she designed international service-learning programs in Cairo in coordination with refugee services organizations and Egyptian community-based networks.
SHELDON EVANS
Prior to teaching, Professor Evans devoted a significant portion of his time in private practice to pro bono advocacy for clients seeking immigration relief and served as a federal law clerk for Hon. Lavenski R. Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He focuses his scholarship on criminal sentencing and its intersection with immigration policies. His work also follows emerging trends in technology and art, and their intersection with criminal and immigration law. Professor Evans’ scholarship has appeared in the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the California Law Review, the George Washington Law Review, and the Federal Sentencing Reporter, among other academic journals. With Professor Cheryl Wade, he co-hosts the Black Author’s Book Club, which furthers his commitment to antiracism by promoting and discussing books written by Black authors that highlight the Black experience in America and across the African diaspora.
KATE KLONICK Law and Technology
Professor Smith is the Associate Dean for Experiential & Skills-Based Education and Professor of Legal Writing. She is the author of two legal writing books: The Handbook for the New Legal Writer (with Jill Barton) and The Legal Writing Survival Guide. Both books aim to demystify the process of legal writing and serve as a source of encouragement for beginning and more experienced legal writers. Professor Smith has presented at national and regional legal writing conferences on topics including teaching with positivity, using popular non-fiction in the legal writing classroom, and the pedagogy of using examples. In addition to Legal Writing, she teaches Legal Research and Civil Rights Advocacy: Critical Reading & Persuasive Writing, among other courses.
CATHERINE BAYLIN DURYEA Human Rights
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Professor Klonick’s scholarly work on internet law and information privacy has appeared in the Yale Law Journal, Harvard Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, peer-reviewed Copyright Journal of the U.S.A., Maryland Law Review, and Southern California Law Review. Her popular press writing has appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Lawfare, Slate, Vox and numerous other publications. She is an affiliated fellow at the Yale Law School Information Society Project and a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Race and Business
Spring 2024 Criminal ConstitutionalLaw Law
INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM
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Civil TortsProfessionalLegalContractsProcedureWritingIDevelopment(orProperty)
This requirement ensures that you’ll attain proficiency in the type of practical writing assignments attorneys take on regularly.
EXPERIENTIAL AdvancedREQUIREMENTLEARNINGPracticeWriting
Administrative Law Business Organizations Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Accounting: J.D./M.B.A. and J.D./M.S. Bankruptcy: J.D./LL.M.
Pre-FallCOURSESFIRST-YEARIntersession (August Introduction2023)to Law
Legal Writing II Professional Development Property (or Torts)
In this course, you’ll learn how to practice law and serve your clients according to the rules of professional responsilbilty that all lawyers must follow.
Applied Skills
e start your legal education with a rigorous grounding in legal analysis, legal doctrine, and legal writing. You’ll learn the fundamentals of practicing law while developing the targeted knowledge and skills new lawyers need to succeed in an ever-evolving legal profession.
You must successfully complete at least five of the following courses:
Fall 2023
UPPER CoreREQUIREMENTSDIVISIONElectives
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMS
Designed to ensure that you attain proficiency in lawyering skills, in addition to drafting, in a real or simulated context, this requirement can be satisfied through our Clinics, Externships, Practicum, and Pro Bono Scholars Program as well as our Advanced Interviewing and Counseling, Advanced Trial Advocacy, Deposition Practice, Mediation: Representing Clients, Negotiation, or Trial Advocacy courses.
In your second year, you’ll choose from a wide array of elective courses representing a range of career pathways. And in your final year, you’ll continue to focus on practice-oriented courses. Along the way, you’ll learn how to draft motions, briefs, memos, and other documents that are the cornerstones of real-world legal practice. Plus, you’ll have a wide range of opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the field.
Other Electives
This requirement is intended to ensure that you compose at least one scholarly writing for which you must analyze, synthesize, organize, and present legal material.
Federal Personal Income Trusts & Estates
Our innovative curriculum prepares you to make immediate and positive contributions in a range of settings:
Professional Responsibility
SCHOLARLY REQUIREMENTWRITING
Tax—BasicEvidence
W
You can select from hundreds of offerings to enhance learning in your areas of interest.
Business Administration: J.D./M.B.A. Government and Politics: J.D./M.A.
SAMPLE UPPER-LEVEL ELECTIVES
This offering explores and challenges preconceived ideas with the aim of achieving a deeper understanding regarding the impact of the law and legal policy on Black/African Americans through a semester-long book club.
Music & The Movement: Race, Rhythm, and Social Justice
This seminar explores Black American social justice movements through the lens of music and the legal and historical context in which the music was created.
The Racial Contract
Space Law
Civil Rights Advocacy
This seminar raises and discusses contemporary issues regarding freedom of the press in the United States and around the world.
This course examines a variety of judicial writings through the lense of feminist legal theory to identify inherent gender assumptions and power hierarchies and evaluate whether the outcomes would have been different through a feminist perspective.
Professional Responsibility is a required course for graduation and tested on the bar exam. This course is specifically designed to fulfill those requirements for students interested in becoming prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys.
This course explores international and domestic law regulating activity from the air/atmospheric boundary to the moon, asteroids, and other celestial bodies in our solar system.
Disability and the Law
This course introduces critical reading and persuasive writing through persuasive briefs from major civil rights cases.
Law, Policy, and the Literature of Black Authors
This seminar delves into the ways in which the legal system deals (and has dealt) with people with disabilities in such areas as employment, public accommodations, and interactions with government and government-funded agencies (e.g., prisons, health care facilities, etc.).
Professional Responsibility: Criminal Advocacy
Feminist Theories & Judgments
Building upon learning in Property, Contracts, and Constitutional Law, this class explores the role of contracts in creating and perpetuating race and racial hegemony within the United States and globally.
Comparative Freedom of the Press
Advanced Topics in Real Estate Law
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This seminar changes topics every time it’s offered to address cutting-edge issues in real estate law. It’s taught by leading practitioners and includes case studies and simulated transactions.
In-House Clinics
Hone your courtroom advocacy and dispute resolution skills through our co-curricular offerings and in a range of competitions:
Defense and Advocacy Clinic
Student members of the Moot Court Honor Society sharpen their written and oral advocacy skills, argue cutting-edge appellate issues, and compete in a range of internal and external competitions. They also engage with top legal professionals, including celebrated St. John’s Law alumni and other esteemed practitioners and judges.
A
New York Real Property Law Journal
Bankruptcy Advocacy Clinic
Moot Court
JOURNALS
CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS
Trial Advocacy
t St. John’s Law, you’ll have many opportunities to learn the law hands on in our in-house and partner clinics, through our co-curricular advocacy and dispute resolution programs and competitions, and with our expansive externship offerings.
Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic Securities Arbitration Clinic
Partner Clinics
Child Advocacy Clinic
LEARN by DOING
Refugee and Immigrant Rights Litigation Clinic Tenants’ Rights Advocacy Clinic
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American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review
CLINICS
Commercial Division Online Law Report
Research, write, or become a published author on a student-run journal:
As a student in any of the Law School’s four in-house and six partner clinics, you’ll work on real legal matters as advocates for marginalized, underrepresented, and underserved New Yorkers. Clinics provide free legal representation under the supervision of clinical professors and practicing attorneys.
Journal of Catholic Legal Studies
The Dispute Resolution Society (DRS) aims to meet the demand for practical education in the constantly developing field of alternative dispute resolution. DRS helps St. John’s Law students hone their negotiation, mediation, and arbitration skills through events, seminars, and internal competitions at St. John’s and in external competitions hosted locally, nationally, and internationally.
Domestic Violence Litigation Clinic Economic Justice Clinic Prosecution Clinic
Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development New York International Law Review
St. John’s Law Review
Dispute Resolution Society
The Frank S. Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute (PTAI) offers St. John’s Law students a singular range of opportunities— from trial training programs to internal and external trial competitions—to build their courtroom advocacy skills and to learn to think, act, and speak like trial attorneys.
Disability Rights New York
Moot Court, Mock Trial, and Securities Arbitration Clinic
EXTERNSHIPS
In addition to running our in-house Securities Arbitration Clinic and advising our student-run Corporate and Securities Law Society, Professor Lazaro guides the Law School’s award-winning competition teams and oversees the largest bankruptcy moot court competition in the country. She also serves on the Securities and Exchange Commissions’ Investor Advisory Committee and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Issues Advisory Committee.
As a St. John’s Law student, you can gain invaluable work experience through our Lexy and Samuel S. Lionel ‘40, ‘10HON Externship Program. Here’s just a sampling of our externship placements in New York City and beyond:
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Postal Service
Finance, LLC
The Safe Center Long Island United Nations Development Programme
The Estee Lauder Companies
Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Securities Exchange Commission
U.S. District Court (EDNY and SDNY)
District Attorney’s Offices (Brooklyn, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Westchester)
LadderPartnersCapital
The Legal Aid Society
BOC International (USA) Holdings Inc.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
New York City Law Department
Brooklyn Defender Services
U.S. Bankruptcy Court
National Labor Relations Board
DLA EdringtonPiper Americas
Wasserman Media Group
U.S. Court of International Trade
MARTY LAFALCE Defense and Advocacy Clinic
*
CHRISTINE LAZARO
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mobilization for Justice
*Over 75% of the Class of 2022 completed clinics or externships and all students who wanted to participate in a clinic or externship did.
As an Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education, Marty LaFalce directs our in-house Defense and Advocacy Clinic. He spent 14 years as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society and began his career representing clients at Rikers Island, considered to be one of the most notorious and brutal jails in the United States. Professor LaFalce also worked as trial attorney in Manhattan for 10 years, representing New Yorkers charged with crimes ranging from low-level marijuana possession to murder. While working as a trial attorney in Manhattan, he teamed with Legal Aid colleagues, community activists, and state legislators to repeal New York State’s discriminatory gravity knife law. Most recently, Professor LaFalce worked as a policy attorney in Legal Aid’s Criminal Defense Practice, coordinating their legislative reform agenda before the New York City Council and New York State Legislature.
Deutsche Bank
New York State Attorney General’s Office New York State Courts
Girl Scouts of the USA Haug
U.S. Attorney’s Office (EDNY and SDNY)
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he law is a global profession, and there’s no better place to learn the law than New York City, the gateway to the world and the home of St. John’s Law. We’ve designed our curriculum so you can explore how law is practiced in different transnational settings and examine diverse legal systems up close.
OPPORTUNITIESGLOBAL
Come to St. John’s Law for a legal education that will open doors to a world of opportunity!
Offerings include:
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Courses in international and comparative law taught by St. John’s faculty members with expertise in the field Summer study abroad program at St. John’s beautiful Rome campus, located in the heart of one of the great cities of Europe Semester-long international practica with international organizations and judicial bodies
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Academic exchange programs in partnership with the University of Glasgow School of Law, Sorbonne University, and Tsinghua University Dean’s Travel Study Program that combines travel abroad, academic lectures, meetings with local lawyers and business leaders, and tours of historical and cultural sites for an immersive learning experience over the school break
In
Mons, Belgium The Hague, InternationalNetherlandsPracticum Sorbonne University Paris, ExchangeFranceProgram University of Glasgow Glasgow, ExchangeScotlandProgram Rome, Italy Summer Study Abroad Progra Spain 2014Scotland 2013 Ireland 2015 Israel 2016 China 2017/18 Belgium | France 2019Brazil | Uruguay 2020 Italy 2022Greece 2023 St. John’s Law students, past and present,represent countries across the globe. • J.D.s • LL.M.s • Both J.D.s and LL.M.s Dean’s Travel Study Program Destinations: VIEWBOOK 2023 l 19
Tsinghua University Beijing, ExchangeChinaProgram
Public Interest Center
WithProGovernmentEducationalCharitableNon-governmentalorganizationsorganizationsorganizationsinstitutionsagenciesBonomattersguidancefromour
Spring Break Service Trips
Externship Program
Public Interest Auction
PUBLIC INTEREST
Director of Public Interest Programming, Ashleigh Kashimawo, you’ll have ample opportunities to learn about, and experience, public interest work through our:
MAKE DIFFERENCEa
t St. John’s Law, we fully support and champion your desire and drive to make a difference in the lives of others and in communities near and far through public service and work in the public interest.
Public Interest Lecture Series
Pro Bono Trainings
Lawyers working in the public interest advocate for underrepresented and marginalized individuals and communities. Generations of St. John’s Law graduates have made their mark serving the public interest in: Legal services
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Pro Bono Week Service Days
Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program
A
In-House and Partner Clinics
Ashleigh Kashimawo Director of Public Interest Programming
Law Enforcement Officers
Government Agency Personnel
Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy
Do you want to ensure that government works for its citizens, or otherwise change the world? St. John’s Law has a long, successful history of preparing students for public service roles, including:
Elected Officials
Whatever public service role interests you, St. John’s Law will help you fullfil your calling. in clinics
Judicial Law Clerks
Federal Scholars Program
PUBLIC SERVICE
U.S. Local,CorporationAttorneysAttorneysGeneralCounselState,andFederal Judges
Assistant District Attorneys
Visiting Jurists Program
VIEWBOOK 2023 l 21 Whatever career path you chose, we encourage you to use your law degree to uplift others and serve justice. That’s the lawyer’s calling.
And we give you ample support and opportunities on your path to public service through our:
Prosecution and Defense Clinics
Hundreds of students provide thousands of hours of public interest 40,000+annuallysupport hours
Military Service Members
STUDENT LIFE
ur welcoming culture defines St. John’s Law and sets us apart. Your learning with faculty and other students will extend beyond the classroom to study groups, brown bag lunch meetings, open-door faculty and administrative offices, informal get-togethers, and pickup soccer games.
You’ll also find camaraderie and kinship as a member of one or more of the student groups coordinated by the Law School’s Student Bar Association.
Student life is thriving!
O
*The University maintains a group of townhouses exclusively for law students and incoming students get priority. *
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St. John’s Law students are part of a true campus community. You can take advantage of all the academic, recreational, and cultural resources that St. John’s University has to offer, including the fitness center, yoga classes, music and theater performances, spectator sports, and religious services.
American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review
Historical Society of the New York Courts
STUDENT GROUPS
Corporate and Securities Law Society Courtroom Advocates Project
Federal Bar Association
International Law Students Association
Intellectual Property Law Society
Public Interest Center
National Lawyers Guild New York International Law Review
American Constitution Society
Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development (JCRED)
Dispute Resolution Society (DRS)
Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
Labor Relations and Employment Law Society Latin American Law Students Association Law & Technology Society Legal Cannabis Council Moot Court Honor Society Multilingual Legal Advocates National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA)
St. John’s Law Review Tax Law Society The TransformingForum Justice Initiative Trusts and Estates Law Society Women’s Law Society
Immigration Law Society
Coalition for Social Justice Commercial Division Online Law Report
New York Real Property Law Journal OUTLaws and Allies Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute (PTAI)
Journal of Catholic Legal Studies
VIEWBOOK 2023 l 23
SJU SouthDefendersAsianLaw Student’s Association (SALSA)
Children’s Rights Society
Public Interest Law Students Association (PILSA)
Criminal Law Society
Real Property Law Society
Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA)
Entertainment, Art, and Sports Law Society (EASL)
First Generation Professionals Health Law Society
Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)
Federalist Society
Our students celebrate and share their diverse heritages, identities, and interests as members of student-run shared identity groups:
JLSAJewishLawStudentAssocia tion LALSALatinAmericanLawStudentsAssociation 24 | STJOHNS.EDU/LAW For more info on our Shared Identity Groups scan the QR Code above!
DIVERSE INCLUSIVEandCOMMUNITY
W
elcoming. Inclusive. Caring. Students, faculty, alumni, and staff use these words again and again to describe St. John’s Law and the wider Law School community. We’re also a community that embraces and values diversity in its many forms. Under the guidance of Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vernadette Horne, we work to recruit and retain a diverse student body, faculty, and staff. And we actively cultivate a campus atmosphere where respect is paramount. People argue their positions not only with passion and conviction, but with curiosity and compassion that builds bridges and bonds
SHARED IDENTITY GROUPS
Named for Hon. Theodore T. Jones, Jr. ’72, ’07HON, who built a thriving legal career that took him to the heights of public service, the Theodore T. Jones, Jr. Fellowship provides competitive Black applicants with support over and above their other merit scholarships. A fund of over $1 million, generated by gifts from alumni and friends, will provide fellowships for approximately 50 students over the next three years.
Victoria Cantrell has spent the majority of her career in labor and employee relations—first within healthcare at NYC Health + Hospitals and later in the arts and culture field. She is now the Director of Labor and Employee Relations at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
St. John’s Law is committed to being an engine of opportunity, particularly for those historically underrepresented in the legal profession.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Vernadette Horne Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Maurice “Mo” Sayeh ‘17 Co-president, St. John’s Law Alumni Association Alumni of Color Chapter
ONGOING STUDENT SUPPORT
Oliver W. Colbert Associate Director of Admissions & Diversity Initiatives
With that firm commitment, we offer the full-tuition Ron Brown Scholarship to competitive applicants who have overcome economic, social, or educational Wedisadvantage.alsooffer
INCOMING STUDENT SUPPORT
numerous endowed diversity scholarships established by alumni and friends.
Oliver Colbert works closely with prospective and admitted students throughout the admissions process. He also creates and supports diversity initiatives to support students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
Theodore T. Jones, Jr. Fellowship
Mo Sayeh is an Associate at Parsons McEntire McCleary PLLC. Prior to entering private practice, he was a Judicial Law Clerk in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
ALUMNI SUPPORT
In her Law School leadership role, Dean Horne works to actively promote an environment and culture of inclusion and equality, and to nurture and strengthen a sense of community, belonging and mattering to all St. John’s Law students.
VIEWBOOK 2023 l 25
Victoria Cantrell ‘10 Co-president, St. John’s Law Alumni Association Alumni of Color Chapter
Work Historyexperienceoffacing and navigating life challenges
LSAT or GRE score
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Regular Early Decision Program
March 15
Application form
Fall 2023 Start: July 15
Extracurricular and community activities
W
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
St. John’s Law offers a flexible and customizable four-year, part-time day program. We’ll work with you to customize a schedule that meets your needs, including mornings only, afternoons only, or a two-day-per-week option.
Early Decision
APPLICATION MATERIALS
Spring 2023 Start: December 15
PART-TIME FLEX DAY PROGRAM
Graduate work or degrees
essay about economic, cultural, or social factors that have been significant in your development and identity
Credential Assembly Service registration and transcripts
Personal Academicstatementorprofessional letters of recommendation (2-3)
Transfer
record, including your major, course of study, and trends in achievement
EARLY DECISION PROGRAMS
Application Priority Date
Undergraduateyour:
Honors Early Decision: October 1, November 1, December 1, and January 1
Honors Early Decision Program
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e seek a diverse group of talented students who will not only succeed at St. John’s Law, but will also continue our tradition of excellence in the legal and business worlds.
OptionalResume
If you’re certain that St. John’s Law is your first choice, you can express that commitment by applying through our Regular Early Decision (R.E.D.) Program. R.E.D. Program applications get a priority review and an expedited decision. We don’t award merit scholarships to R.E.D. Program applicants. So, if you’re seeking a scholarship, please don’t apply through this program.
Regular Early Decision: January 6
Optional video interview that supplements your written application and tells us more about you
This highly competitive program is for outstanding applicants who are sure that St. John’s Law is their top choice. Successful applicants will receive a full-tuition St. Thomas More Scholarship, the opportunity to work closely with a faculty advisor, and access to special events, among other benefits. Please note: this program has monthly application deadlines, from October through January. We distribute awards on the last day of each month until the program reaches capacity. If you’re not admitted to the Honors Early Decision Program, we’ll consider your application during the general admissions cycle.
ADMISSIONS SCHOLARSHIPSand
While LSAT or GRE scores and undergraduate GPAs are important factors, we don’t rely on numbers alone in our admission process. We also consider, among other things,
VIEWBOOK 2023 l 27 *ClassEntering2022
Part-Time$67,800
Ron Brown Scholarship Dean’s Scholarship SUPPORT
ADDITIONAL
Flex Day Program $50,850
All forscholarshipstheincomingclassof2023areunconditional! 28 | STJOHNS.EDU/LAW $27M+ Awarded in not(for2022-2023scholarshipsallstudents-justincoming) $10,000–$67,800 scholarship award range for 2022-2023
FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS
Full-Time Program
Law school is a major financial undertaking, and we help students make that investment in themselves and their future career by offering a range of scholarships. They include generous awards for entering students and scholarships given to upper-level students based on academic achievement.
Theodore T. Jones, Jr. Fellowship
St. Thomas More Scholarship
We’ll consider you for a scholarship automatically when you apply to St. John‘s Law. You don’t need to supplement your application or qualify with a particular LSAT score or undergraduate GPA. But note: If you’re seeking a scholarship, please don’t apply through the Regular Early Decision (R.E.D.) Program.
SCHOLARSHIPS
2022-2023 TUITION
I joined the faculty here in 1998 and was appointed Dean in 2009. When people ask me how I feel about being the longest-serving law school dean in New York, and one of the longest-serving in the country, I reply that I feel very fortunate. Every day I get to be part of a wonderfully diverse and dynamic community of students, professors, administrators, and staff who are welcoming, inclusive, and kind.
We look forward to connecting with you!
Greetings and thanks for your interest in St. John’s Law.
But the best part of my job, as Dean and as a classroom teacher, is getting to know our students. They bring a rich range of perspectives to their studies here. And, as dedicated as they are to learning the law and building a meaningful career, they’re also good to one another and eager to contribute to the life of the Law School. They do that as journal staffers, through advocacy competitions, and as members of a wide range of student-run organizations and shared identity groups, among many other opportunities.
We offer open houses monthly, and both in-person and virtual tours weekly. You can also make individual appointments, including a Zoom with a current student or admissions officer. Reserve your spot at stjohns.edu/law/visit.
I also get to engage with alumni who are making their mark right here in New York City, across the United States, and around the world. They’re not just leaders in law firms, corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies, they’re our dedicated partners who give back to St. John’s Law generously as employers, mentors, and donors.
Enjoy this viewbook introduction to St. John’s Law. I look forward to seeing you on campus soon.
Warm regards,
Coming together as a community, we also work to animate the Law School’s commitment to being an ardently and actively antiracist institution that embraces, prioritizes, and reflects the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. For almost 100 years, as one of the best law schools in New York City, with one of the highest graduate employment rates in the nation, we’ve been committed to being an engine of opportunity, particularly for those who have faced barriers to entering the legal profession historically.
Learn more about St. John’s Law!
VISIT US @StJohnsLaw @St. John’s University School of Law @stjohnslaw FOLLOW US @ VIEWBOOK 2023 l 29
Contact us at 718-990-6474 or lawinfo@stjohns.edu to set up a call.
Michael A. Simons Dean and John V. Brennan Professor of Law and Ethics
Office of Admissions | 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439 | 718-990-6474 | lawinfo@stjohns.edu | stjohns.edu/law/admissions Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity St. John’s University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence), sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, disability, religion, age, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status), marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence, citizenship status, genetic predisposition or carrier status in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Amendments Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. Annual Security & Fire Safety Report The University’s Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (ASR), which contains three years of campus crime and fire safety statistics and campus security policy and procedures, is available online at www.stjohns.edu/safetyreport. Upon request, prospective students may obtain a paper copy of the ASR by contacting the Department of Public Safety at (718) 990-1435
