Welcome to another edition of See infra, delivering a sampling of news from St. John's Law. 

Over 300 alumni came together recently for the 2025 Alumni Association Luncheon. Welcoming the attendees, Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum shared the vision for the Law School as we enter our second century of excellence, prominence, and impact. Troy Rosasco '89 received the Belson Medal in recognition of his generous support of the Law School. We also honored Tina Kassangana '19 (Recent Graduate Service Award); Cathy Blaney-Petralia '91 (St. Thomas More Award); Alfred C. Cerullo, III '83NDC, '86L (Harold McNiece Award); and Andrea M. Alonso '78C, '81L (John J. Murphy Award) for their service and dedication to St. John’s Law. View the Alumni Association Luncheon photo gallery.

At this year’s Alumni Association Luncheon, students from our Public Interest Law Student Association ran a successful silent auction to support the Public Interest Center’s programs and initiatives. Congratulations to all the student volunteers, who are now hard at work organizing this year’s in-person, rock n’ roll-themed Public Interest Auction on 3/27. You can help by becoming a sponsor or making a monetary gift. Support the 2025 Public Interest Auction today!  

Last month, our Denise ‘90 and Michael ‘91 Mattone Center for Law and Religion hosted its inaugural Center Directors Summit. The event, the first ever of its kind, brought together directors of law and religion centers and clinics from Brigham Young, Emory, Harvard, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, St. John’s, Stanford, The Catholic University of America, the University of Texas, and Villanova. Participants spoke about the role of law and religion centers and clinics and the benefits they can provide for law professors, students, and the public. Read more about the Directors Summit.

We’re grateful for all the St. John’s Law alumni who give back by sharing their insights, expertise, and generosity with our students. Here’s just a sampling of recent events featuring alumni panelists, presenters, and hosts:

Our Labor Relations and Employment Law Society hosted their annual Interview Success Panel featuring Leslie DiBenedetto ’11, William H. Ng ’07, Queenie Paniagua ’12, Paul Tsenesidis ’19, and Sam Wiles ’19. The panelists discussed qualities they look for in job candidates, common interview questions, and ways students can stand out during the hiring process.

Students and alumni who served in the armed forces gathered for an evening with Retired Marine Corps General Peter Pace. The 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shared his thoughts on leadership and the lessons he learned while serving our country. A special thank you to Frank Kelly ’83C, ’88L for hosting, and to Jim Herschlein ’85, president of the St. John’s Law Alumni Association, and members of the Alumni Association Armed Forces Chapter for their participation in this meaningful event.

We welcomed 75 attendees for a Corporate Law Panel sponsored by Haynes and Boone, LLP and co-sponsored by St. John's Student Division of the Federal Bar Association - Eastern District of New York Chapter, along with our Black Law Students Association, Corporate and Securities Law Society, and Tax Law Society. Many thanks to alumni panelists Scott Beechert ’93, Victoria Giorgio ’23, and Thomas M. Hogan ’06 who, along with their colleagues, offered insights on corporate transactions and litigation practice and networked with our students.

Let’s hear it for Center for Bankruptcy Studies Director Laura Schwartz ’90, who received the New York Institute of Credit's Renaissance Award at the organization's 18th Annual Women in Achievement Awards Ceremony earlier this month.

Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum delivered welcome remarks at an induction ceremony for Hon. Cassandra A. Johnson ’03C, ’06L, who was sworn in as a Queens County Surrogate’s Court Judge in front of over 350 supporters in St. John’s D’Angelo Center. Speakers included Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York State Attorney General Letitia James. Congratulations, Judge Johnson!

3/19 | Celebrating Women in the Law
Please join the Women's Law Society and the Alumni Association Alumnae Leadership Council Chapter (ALC) for this special event hosted by Ruth Calaman ’97, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Evercore Wealth Management. We’re honoring four alumnae who serve as wonderful role models: Sabeena Ahmed Liconte ’06 (Outstanding Alumna Award), Maryann Canfield ’92 (Trailblazer Award), Denise Miranda ’96 (Public Service Award), and Samantha Ojo ’19 (Rising Star Award). Register to attend.

4/4 | Diversity & Inclusion Gala
For 2025, our Diversity & Inclusion Gala returns to Tribeca Rooftop in lower Manhattan. Since the inaugural Gala in 2017, this signature event has brought the St. John’s Law community together to celebrate and support the Law School's deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—a commitment rooted in St. John's Vincentian mission. This year, we're honoring Hon. Charles B. Rangel ‘60L, ‘83HON (Diversity Champion Award); Margaret V. Turano ‘77 (Outstanding Alumna Award); and Abigail Drummond ‘25 (Student Excellence Award). You can sponsor this special event and buy tickets today!

Professor Anna Arons’s article, “Family Regulation’s Consent Problem,” has been accepted for publication in the Columbia Law Review. The article looks at the central role of so-called “consent searches” of families’ homes in family regulation (child welfare) investigations.

Professor Elaine Chiu’s article, “The Model Minority Victim,” will appear in an upcoming issue of the Santa Clara Law Review. The article features an empirical study of how the criminal legal system responded to anti-Asian attacks in New York City in 2021.

Professor Benjamin Sundholm’s paper, "Navigating the Frontiers of MedTech," was recently published in the Arizona State Law Journal. It analyzes doctrinal reforms that are needed in response to the use of adaptative and opaque artificial intelligence systems in medicine. Professor Sundholm workshopped the paper at the Seventh Junior Faculty Forum for Law and STEM at Penn Carey Law School.

Professor Cheryl Wade contributed a chapter on “Race and the American Corporation: The Rhetoric of Anti-Racism and Diversity in the Twenty-First Century” for The Oxford handbook of Race and Law in the United States (Oxford Academic). She also contributed a chapter on “Formalizing Compliance to Reduce Board Exposure to Civil and Criminal Liability” for The Law of Fraternities and Sororities (Carolina University Press).

Professor Renee Nicole Allen was a panelist for an American Association of American Law Schools (AALS) program on Navigating, Challenging, and Transcending Law School Faculty Hierarchies. She was also elected to the Society of American Law Teachers’ Board of Governors.

Professor John Q. Barrett was part of an Academic Exchange mission to Israel. He also lectured on the topic of Elections in the History of the Holocaust and Today for a Museum of Jewish Heritage online program for teachers.

Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum chaired the AALS Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers of Color at the 2025 AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco. She also participated in the United States Sentencing Commission Drug Sentencing Roundtable, was appointed as a member of the New York State Justice Task Force, and joined the Neighborhood Defender Service Board of Trustees, serving as Board Secretary.

Professor Evelyn Malavé is the Chair-Elect of the AALS Criminal Procedure Section. She will serve one year as Chair-Elect and then, per the by-laws, become Chair the following year. The Criminal Procedure Section is relatively new at AALS. In its first few years, it has organized an annual Junior Scholars Conference, hosted various works-in-progress workshops, and presented an engaging lineup of panels at the AALS Annual Meeting.  

You can read more about our faculty’s activities and achievements at our Faculty Focus blog. We also share faculty media mentions and other faculty news on LinkedIn.

A round of applause for Riki Markowitz ’25, who took the lead on organizing and running this year’s St. John’s Law Review Symposium. Titled Taking Stock of Stare Decisis, the event convened a panel of leading experts to discuss stare decisis in judging. The featured speaker was Hon. Debra Ann Livingston, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

In partnership with the New York State Unified Court System-Civic Engagement, the Macon B. Allen Black Bar Association, the Queens County Bar Association, and the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission, our Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights hosted a Day of Service in the Queens County Supreme Court to honor Martin Luther King Jr. It was a wonderful experience for our students, who volunteered to assist people who were using the Court's Help Office. 

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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