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| Celebrating St. John’s Trailblazing Women Lawyers
March is Women’s History Month and we invite you to follow along on social media as we honor alumnae who blazed trails, broke barriers, and achieved notable firsts in and beyond the profession. You’ll find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Know Someone Who's Applying to Law School?
St. John's priority application deadline is March 15, 2021. Law School applications across the country are up over 20% this cycle, and we're up even more. It’s shaping up to be one of our most competitive applicant pools ever! The word is out among highly qualified applicants that St. John’s Law is one of the best—not just in New York, but nationwide—for a rigorous legal education that leads to outstanding bar passage and employment outcomes. So, encourage those you know to apply early to be considered for our Fall 2021 entering class.
Announcing a New Fellowship for Black Students and a New Scholarship for Students of Color
St. John’s Law is launching two important new initiatives to further its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism: The Theodore T. Jones, Jr. Fellowship and the Aequitas Scholarship. Read more about these support opportunities and view a message from Dean Michael A. Simons about them.
A Fond Farewell
After 21 years at St. John’s Law, Dorothy Moran is leaving to become Director of Admissions at Seton Hall. In her time at the Law School, Dorothy served in succession as our Assistant Director of Admissions, Associate Director of Admissions, and Associate Director of Student Services. For over two decades, her work touched the lives of so many students and prospective students. Countless applicants knew they could belong at St. John’s because of Dorothy’s heartfelt and enthusiastic recruiting. And, during the pandemic, many of our students (especially our remote students) benefitted from her caring support. We look forward to celebrating Dorothy and her years of service when we can be together in person again. Until then, if you would like to send her your best wishes, please submit a short (30 seconds or less) video message to us for inclusion in a fond farewell compilation we'll share with Dorothy soon.
We’re Hiring!
St. John's Law is looking for its next Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Could it be you or someone you know? The Director is a key member of the Law School's senior leadership team, with primary responsibility for our community-wide diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism initiatives. This is a people-centric role, and the Director works closely with the Law School's students, faculty, and administration. Want to know more? You can read the full job description online and contact Sarah Jean Kelly, Vice Dean for Administration, at kellys@stjohns.edu or (718) 990-8358 for more information.
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| Alumnae Leadership Council Launches
“Our goal is, over time, to develop a vibrant network of young alumnae, mid-career alumnae, and senior professionals who connect with each other and with current students, sharing their multi-varied and prodigious talents and skills,” Rose F. DiMartino ’81 says of this new initiative that she helped to launch. This story introduces the work of the Alumnae Leadership Council and spotlights its pillar Mentoring Circles program.
Celebrate 25 Stars of Public Interest
We’re looking forward to the Law School’s annual 25th anniversary Public Interest Auction on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Donate money and auction items now and then get ready to bid high and often and purchase raffle tickets to help fund Summer Public Interest Fellowships and other public interest initiatives at St. John’s Law. Mark your calendars and watch your inbox for more information. To learn more about making a donation to support this fun and important event, visit the Public Interest Auction website.
CLE: The Cure for Cabin Fever
Need CLE credits? We’ve got you! Our online 2021 Cabin Fever Series continues in March with What Real Estate Lawyers Need to Know About the Uniform Commercial Code and Mezzanine Loans (3/10) and The Executive Contract and Restrictive Covenants: How a Lawyer and Client Can Make Negotiation Progress Without Making Enemies (3/24). You can learn more and register for the CLE series here. Email any questions to mckeevec@stjohns.edu.
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| Scholarly Work
Congratulations to Mary C. Daly Professor of Law Anita S. Krishnakumar whose article, “Statutory History,” will be published in the Virginia Law Review. The paper explores the U.S. Supreme Court’s practice of examining prior versions of a statute—i.e., earlier drafts of the bill that ultimately became law or the original version of a statute that has since been amended—to speculate about a statute’s meaning.
Marissa Jackson Sow, who is joining the Law School in June as an Assistant Professor of Law, will publish her forthcoming article, "Whiteness as Contract," in the Washington and Lee Law Review.
In the Media
Professor John Q. Barrett's essay, "RBG and the Girls," appears in the current New York State Bar Association Journal (Jan./Feb. 2021). It describes how he witnessed the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg interact with three star-struck girls after she gave a talk at the 2018 Second Circuit Conference.
Activities
It's been a busy stretch in the (virtual) field for Professor Christine Lazaro, who directs our in-house our Securities Arbitration Clinic. You can read more about her work as a presenter, moderator, and author on finance industry oversight and regulatory issues via our Faculty Scholarship Blog.
Professor G. Ray Warner delivered a keynote address on global trends in corporate insolvency law virtually at the Attorney General Alliance Africa judicial conference on the new insolvency framework in Abuja, Nigeria.
2021 Intellectual Property Colloquium is Underway
Led by Professors Eva E. Subotnik and Jeremy Sheff, who direct the Law School’s Intellectual Property Law Center, this year’s Intellectual Property Colloquium focuses on the interaction of IP law and issues of racial, gender, economic, and social justice. Read more about it and the slate of accomplished scholars-colloquium presenters.
Join the (Book) Club!
There’s still time to register for our virtual First Friday Book Club hosted by Professors Cheryl Wade and Sheldon Evans. On March 5, 2021, we’ll discuss Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (2020), acclaimed author Isabel Wilkerson’s latest book explores America through the unspoken taboo of its caste system of race, class, and a host of other factors. There's no fee to join the Book Club, but please register to attend.
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| Bravo!
Congratulations to 3Ls Jeremy Ashton and Ryan Iglesias, who earned generous awards from the New York City Bar Association's C. Bainbridge Smith Scholarship Fund in recognition of their character, intelligence, and promising aptitude for the law, among other qualifications for this major honor
In a year of curveballs, practicing across three time zones, and making their cases virtually, the St. John's Law team of Matthew Callahan ‘19TCB, ‘22L, John Gilroy ‘18C, ‘21L, Rebecca Pasternak ‘22, Alexander Zedlovich ‘22, and coach Ryan Lake ‘13LL.M. got the big win at the 2021 Tulane International Baseball Arbitration Competition. Read all about this competition season success.
The Frank S. Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute (PTAI) team of Jasmine Johnson ‘21 and Samantha McCarthy ‘21, coached by Brian Hughes ‘07 and Joanna Matuza ‘17, captured the New York regional championship at the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association (TYLA) National Trial Competition. Johnson also won the award for Best Direct Examination and Sandra Jovic ‘21, coached on another PTAI team by Mike Maffei ‘10 and Marlee Galvez ‘16, earned the Best Closing Statement award.
Three cheers for Evan Biegel ‘21L, ‘22G whose paper, "Tuning the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Musical Work Infringement," earned him runner-up and a generous scholarship award in this year’s Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition, which invites law students to write a 3,000-word paper on a compelling legal topic facing the music industry today. The Recording Academy selected Evan’s paper from hundreds of entries for the honor and will recognize his achievement at its 23rd Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Event & Scholarship Presentation.
Did You Know . . .
Our Student Services team of Eric Shannon and Zach Piper provides vital support to St. John’s Law students. At the start of the academic year, they sent packages to all remote 1Ls filled with school-branded items and a personalized note to remind them that, wherever they are, they’re part of the Law School community. They also call students who are learning remotely to check in. The “virtual wellness” resource list the team assembled for students is now a popular monthly Wellness Newsletter. And, always looking for new ways to connect with students—and to connect students with one another—Student Services has put together a series of virtual Pizza Social Hours (hat tip to Vice Dean Sarah Jean Kelly for the original idea), intimate, low-stakes, non-academic gatherings hosted by faculty and administrators.
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| Comments, Suggestions, or Content Ideas?
Please email Lori Herz, See infra's Managing Editor and Lead Writer, at herzl@stjohns.edu.
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