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

The St. John’s Law community mourns the passing of esteemed alumnus Hon. Charles B. Rangel. Animating St. John’s Vincentian mission, he served the greater good over four decades representing the people of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. Inside and outside of politics, Congressman Rangel advocated for, and supported, educational opportunities for all. With great appreciation for his dedication, kindness, generosity, and impact, we send our deepest sympathies to his family, his friends, and the community he loved so dearly. May he rest in peace. Read the remembrance story.

When ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro ’94 returned to campus as the Law School’s 2025 Commencement speaker, he surprised and delighted the crowd when he gave away two tickets to an Eastern Conference finals game to one lucky graduate. The winner was Kipp Garrett ’25, a lifelong Knicks fan, who attended the game with his father. But that’s not where the excitement ends! ESPN replayed Pitaro’s commencement address and ESPN Radio featured Garrett on its flagship morning show, Unsportsmanlike. 

As they study for the New York bar exam at St. John’s Law, our 2025 graduates are enjoying a free lunch or dinner served daily in partnership with generous alumni donors. Let our newest alumni know that you’re cheering them on. Make a gift to the Law School’s Bar Prep Meal Fund today! (Select "Bar Prep Meal Fund" from the Designation drop-down menu.)

The latest editions of Class Notes, Births, and In Memoriam are now online. Catch up on all the news and then share yours! Complete and submit our online form by 11/15 to be included in the next publication.

Starting this fall, to celebrate 100 years of St. John’s Law and welcome our next century of excellence, prominence, and impact, the Law School Alumni Association will host a series of special events. We’ll share more event details soon. In the meantime, please visit our 100th Anniversary website to learn more.

Earlier this week, the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law hosted its annual Spring Reception & Awards Ceremony in Manhattan. The evening’s honorees were Paul Hastings partner Bruce DePaola '91, who received this year’s Alumni Leadership Award, and Carter Ledyard associate Kayla Laskin ’19, who was this year’s Rising Star Award recipient.

Taking center stage for June in the Center for Bankruptcy Studies’ Bankruptcy Alumni Spotlight Series is Winston & Strawn LLP partner Carrie Hardman ‘09L, ‘13LL.M. The latest installment of the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law’s Real Estate Alumni Spotlight Series features Tina Kassangana ’19, an associate at Moritt, Hock & Hamroff LLP.

Professor Robin Boyle-Laisure’s new book, Taken No More: Protecting Your Children against Traffickers and Cults (Bloomsbury), will be out soon. In it, she draws on expertise and insights gained through her longtime work with, and leadership of, the International Cultic Studies Association. Learn more and preorder the book.

Professor Miriam Cherry recently completed “Lost in a Crowd: How Crowdworkers are Denied their Rights at Work (PDF),” a report published by the Solidarity Center and the International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network. She prepared the report in advance of next month’s International Labour Conference, which is considering a global standard on worker rights in the platform economy.

 Professor Elaine Chiu’s article, “The Model Minority Victim,” appears in the Santa Clara Law Review. It explores the rise in xenophobia, hate, and violence against AAPI Americans inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of her impactful work in the field, Professor Chiu recently received the Asian American Bar Association of New York's Women’s Leadership Award.

Professor Phil Lee served as a panelist for a recent AANHPI Heritage Month event held at the Queens Supreme Court Civil Term that addressed A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience: Then and Now in the Context of Korematsu and Thind.  

Professor Mark Movsesian presented a paper, “COVID and the Rise of the ‘Nones’ in the U.S.,” at an online conference at the University of Messina (Italy)’s Department of Law.

Professor Ray Warner participated in the World Bank’s Enhancing Credit Infrastructure to Support Climate Resilience colloquium in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Bank’s Insolvency and Climate Change Working Group, which explores links between insolvency and climate change. Professor Warner also hosted the annual INSOL Academic Colloquium in Barcelona, Spain. The conference marked the end of his term as Chair of the INSOL Academics’ group.

Congratulations to Bella Garabedian '26, who won the New York State Bar Association Real Property Law Section’s annual Student Writing Competition. Her paper, "Applying Foreclosure Safe Harbors in Fraudulent Transfer Litigation," will be published in the New York Real Property Law Journal.

We’re also happy to announce that Natalie McIntosh '25 won this year's Mattone Institute Writing Competition with her paper, "Why Can't I Buy a Home?: Examining the Obstacles on the Path to Homeownership in New York."

The New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law (EASL) Section selected Kylie Ruff ’25 as a winner of this year’s Phil Cowan-Judith Bresler Memorial Scholarship competition for her paper, “Facial Recognition Technology and the Entertainment Industry: the Legal and Ethical Implications of Using Selfies for Entry to Entertainment Venues.” Ruff’s winning paper will appear in an upcoming issue of the EASL Journal. Well done, Kylie!

And let’s hear it for Regina Yoo ’26, who won the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund 2025 Matsui Writing Competition with her entry, “Beyond Comparators: Challenging the Legal Shortfalls in Asian American Disparate Treatment Claims.” Look for Yoo's paper in a forthcoming volume of the Asian Pacific American Law Journal.

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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