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Dear Friends,
Since our last newsletter in May of last year, the Mattone Institute has continued to help prepare the next generation of St. John's Law real estate lawyers for practice through exceptional academic programs, unique career development opportunities, and extraordinary special events. Over this period, we hosted (or co-hosted) a total of 14 special events, ranging from seminars for our students covering important real estate topics, to CLEs providing attorneys with necessary real estate law knowledge and skills, to networking events connecting members of our unrivaled real estate alumni base with one another and our students. We added two new members to our Advisory Board and welcomed two new adjunct professors teaching advanced real estate law courses. And in May, we had the pleasure of seeing no less than nine of our Real Estate Fellows graduate the Law School, many of whom have already started careers practicing real estate transactions, finance or litigation in a range of practice settings.
It has been widely reported that the historically hot legal jobs market of the past 18 months has cooled somewhat in recent months amid a decline in dealmaking. Nevertheless, in my view, real estate is among the most resilient of practice areas given the immense volume of transactions that occur regardless of market conditions, and the breadth of specialty areas it offers, including in the growing areas of affordable housing, landlord-tenant/tenant's rights advocacy, and ESG. Our students are well-prepared to capitalize on these opportunities by virtue of the real estate coursework, extra-curricular, co-curricular, and job opportunities available to them at St. John's Law – not to mention our location in New York City, the global epicenter for real estate finance, investment and development.
It is my pleasure to offer a window into some of our recent activities and initiatives, and upcoming events, through this newsletter. Thanks as always to the Mattone family and our many supporters, including our Advisory Board members, without which nothing herein would have been possible.
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- In May 2022, we held a Spring Reception and Awards Ceremony at Pride Flight Deck in Manhattan, where Michael Rhee '98, SVP and General Counsel at The Durst Organization was awarded the 2022 Mattone Institute Alumni Achievement Award
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- In July 2022, as part of the Mattone Institute CLE Series, we hosted "Affordable Housing in New York 101" with Juan Restrepo '07 and Richard Yao.
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- In August 2022, Joe Mattone Jr. '86 and Meg Ryan '05 were honored at our Fall Alumni Golf Outing.
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- On September 10, 2022 we held our semi-annual Mattone Institute Virtual Information Session, primarily for 1L and 2Ls interested in real estate law career paths.
- On September 12, 2022, we held our Fall Welcome Celebration at the Law School, which brought together students, faculty and administrators affiliated with our real estate-focused organizations: the Mattone Institute, Real Property Law Society and New York Real Property Law Journal.
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- On September 14, 2022, the Mattone Institute CLE Series continued with "Things that Make You Go Hmmm...: Part III", featuring Vincent J. Gallo, Paul Malon '81, Catherine Schiavone, Hon. Philip Straniere and Chris Kidonakis '09. This was our first "hybrid" CLE event, with in-person attendees on campus and a live virtual simulcast.
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- On September 21, 2022, the Mattone Institute was in evidence at our annual Law Laughlin Society Reception. Pictured below: Real Estate Fellow Billy Michaca '23, Advisory Board member Stephanie Rainaud '14 and her classmate Laura de los Rios '14.
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- On September 29, 2022, the New York Real Property Law Journal held a well-attended Fall Social for its members at Austin's Ale House.
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- On December 12, 2022, the Mattone Institute CLE Series continued with "What Attorneys Need to Know About Cooperative Apartment Due Diligence", taught by Chris Kidonakis '09.
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- On October 13, 2022, the Real Property Law Society hosted a movie night for its membership featuring The Big Short.
- Also on October 13, the Mattone Institute Advisory Board held a semi-annual meeting at Ladder Capital Finance LLC.
- On October 24, 2022, the Real Property Law Society held a panel discussion: "Attorneys Fighting Housing Dispossession and Discrimination: Career Paths in Housing Counseling and Tenant Advocacy" with Hon. John Lansden '91, Prof. Amee Master, and Kathryn O'Brien '22, moderated by Real Estate Fellows Billy Michaca '23 and Leeal Kahen '23.
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| - On November 5, 2022, Rob Sein '03 and Real Estate Fellow Ubaid Bandukra '23 co-taught a course on Commercial Leasing for small business owners and entrepreneurs sponsored by the Chinatown Manpower Project and NYC EDC.
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| - On November 7, 2022, as part of the Mattone Institute Speaker Series and Mattone Institute CLE Series, we held "Title Review and Title Insurance 101" with Christina Colbert '92, Anthony Vozza '88, Antonio G. Vozza '17 and Giacomo Billisi '22, all of First American. The event enriched student attendees’ understanding of this important subject matter and provided transitional CLE credit to recent graduate attendees.
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| - On November 15, 2022, we held the Tenth Semi-annual Recent Alumni in Real Estate Law Roundtable featuring Alain Darian Alisca '19, Nataniel Arabov '19, Taryn Crawford '15, Rose Egan '19, Michael Fabrizio '20 and Corey Trail '17.
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| - On Friday, November 18, we co-hosted with the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council "Discovering the Many and Diverse Paths within CRE Finance: A Career Conversation with Alfred Williams of Morrison & Foerster", moderated by Ross Gusler of Greystone.
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- In June 2022, our real estate programs were featured in the Spring 2022 edition of our Alumni Magazine ("What’s Next?: Alumni on the Future of NYC Real Estate")
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- In August 2022, Holly Constants '22's paper, "Freedom to Contract Injunction Waivers in Commercial Leases", which was the winner of the 2021 Mattone Institute Writing Competition, was published in the American Bar Association Probate & Property Journal.
- Also in August, Billy Michaca '23 co-authored an article with Alex Rosenthal of Lowenstein Sandler on "Contraction Right Considerations in NYC Commercial Leases" which appeared in Law360 and is available here.
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- In September, we named Nicholas Hasbun '23 the Timothy J. Meehan Fellow. This award is given annually to the 3L Real Estate Fellow with the highest cumulative GPA in advanced real estate coursework.
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- In October, American Immobiliare held its annual scholarship dinner. A number of St. John’s Law students and graduates have been designated as American Immobiliare Commercial Real Estate Scholars over the past three years, including Joe DiOrio '22, who attended the dinner (pictured: Angela Works '78 and Joe DiOrio '22).
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- Also in October, Yichun (Willow) Liu '23’s work in the summer of 2022 at Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) was highlighted in the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) newsletter. As stated in the newsletter, "Yichun’s placement was a match made in heaven for the LSIP program’s maiden voyage." We are proud to partner with OHC on a continuing basis in its Law Student Internship Program.
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- Also in October, Ryan Brady '23 won first place in the Fourteenth Annual JCRED Best Notes Writing Competition for his note "Why Single-Family Zoning Must End in New York City’s Suburbia" (publication forthcoming).
- In December, Sara Leston '23 was thanked for her contributions as a real estate extern to the Shearman & Sterling publication "Tenant Security Deposit or Unsecured Loan? State Law Disparity Leads to Forfeiture", available here.
- In December, Real Estate Fellow Paul Spagnoli '24, Giancarlo Conte '23 and Marco Mongelli '23, were awarded Columbian Lawyers Association Scholarships at the Columbian Lawyers Association Annual Luncheon.
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- In January, Gennaro Priolo '24 was awarded a SAME New York City Post Scholarship Fund Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes students with experience, background or a demonstrated interest in engineering or construction/design law.
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MEET OUR NEW REAL ESTATE FELLOWS!
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In August, as a result of a very competitive selection process, we selected six new Real Estate Fellows, bringing the total program enrollment to eleven:
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Ubaid Bandukra '24
Ubaid is a second year law student at St. John’s Law, and is working as the Director of Operations at S&S Group, a property management and development firm based in Long Island. A graduate of University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, he now oversees commercial and residential leasing, renovation projects and ground-up development from acquisition to construction. He is currently managing the development of a 23,000 square foot multi-family community in Oceanside, NY and continually assesses viability of sites for prospective projects. Ubaid is a member of the Real Property Law Society at St. Johns, and hopes to incorporate his experience in the field when addressing client concerns. As a real estate fellow, he hopes to gain more exposure to real estate law with a focus on zoning and real estate development.
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Maria Budis '24
Maria serves as a Staff Member of the St. John's Law Review, Teaching Assistant for Professor Colleen Parker's Legal Writing I course, and Chair of 1L Outreach for Corporate and Securities Law Society. Maria is also a member of St. John's Real Property Law Society and Women's Law Society. During Maria's 1L summer, she interned with Hon. Joseph F. Bianco in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and was an award recipient of the Summer 2022 Federal Scholars Program. Maria graduated from Boston College Carroll School of Management in 2021 with a B.S. in Management, Concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship. During her college summers, Maria gained experience working on real estate transactions with two different Queens-based firms. As a Real Estate Fellow, Maria is looking forward to exploring her interest in real estate law.
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Nicholas Hasbun '23
Nicholas is a 3L from Forest Hills, NY. He graduated magna cum laude from St. John's University in 2020 with a B.S. in Legal Studies. During his time at St. John's Law, he was a judicial intern for the Honorable Lena M. James, United States Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of North Carolina and gained clinical experience at the Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic. This summer, Nicholas worked on real estate matters as a Summer Associate with Belkin Burden Goldman, LLP where he will continue working part-time. Currently, he serves as Executive Notes & Comments Editor of the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, and is a member of the Real Property Law Society and Latin American Students Association.
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Daryll Boyd Jones, Jr. '23
Daryll is a 3L at St. John's Law and a Queens, NY native. In 2018, Daryll graduated from the City University of New York: Baruch College with a double major in a Corporate Communications and Political Science. Prior to law school, Daryll worked in the financial services and B2B/B2C sales industry with companies such as J.P Morgan, Northwestern Mutual, and various businesses across different fields. During his 1L year, Daryll was awarded the New York City Bar Association's Diversity Fellowship and worked as a Summer Legal Associate at Morgan Stanley where he rotated across the Private Equity, Technology and Data, and Litigation practice groups within the firm. During Daryll's 2L summer, he worked as a Summer Associate at Dechert LLP where a majority of his work concerned various real property matters such as Commercial Mortgaged Backed Securities, Commercial Loan Origination and refinancing, and Asset Finance and Securitization. At St. John's Law, Daryll is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society, Corporate and Securities Society, and Real Property Law Society. As a Real Estate Fellow, Daryll looks forward to building connections within the elite real estate industry in New York City and further developing his real estate law knowledge and skills.
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Leeal Kahen '24
Leeal Kahen is a second-year student from Long Island, New York. She graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University in 2021 with a BA in Economics and Social History. At St. John's, Leeal is a staff member of the N.Y. Real Property Journal, serves as DEI Chair of the Real Property Law Society, and is a member of the Public Interest Law Student Association, Women's Law Society, Jewish Law Students Association and Federal Bar Association. This summer, she interned for Hon. Alexandra Murphy in the Supreme Court of Westchester County. She has several years' experience working at a Queens-based real estate firm. As a real estate fellow, Leeal looks forward to engaging with St. John's students and alumni, and networking with the New York real estate industry.
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Paul Spagnoli '24
This past summer, Paul worked on real estate transactions and litigation at Durante, Bock & Tota PLLC, and will extern at Ladder Capital Inc. this coming fall. Last year, he worked for in house counsel at Standard Motor Products, Inc. and spent much of his time working on two multi-million-dollar acquisitions. He serves as Director of Communications for the Real Property Law Society, and as a staff member of the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review. Paul also serves on the E-Board of the Catholic Law Students Association and the Italian American Law Student Association.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2022!
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Congratulations to all of our 2022 graduates, including our graduating RE Fellows. We're eager to witness all of your future achievements and continue to collaborate with you as part of our alumni family!
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Congratulations to all of our 2022 graduates, including our graduating RE Fellows depicted below. We’re eager to witness all of your future achievements and continue to collaborate with you as part of our alumni family!
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David Aminov '22
Law Clerk, Melzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breistone, LLP
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William Buzzini '22
Law Clerk, Jacobs PC
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Joseph DiOrio '22
Law Clerk, Winget, Spadafora & Schwartzberg, LLP
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Sabrina Jorge '22
Law Clerk, Lowenstein Sandler LLP
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Lorena Niyazov '22
Law Clerk, Kudman Trachten Aloe Posner LLP
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Meghan Paola '22
Law Clerk, Rosenberg & Estis PC
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Olivia Piluso '22
Law Clerk, KI Legal
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Olivia Pizzo '22
Judicial Clerk, Hon. Trish K. Morikawa (Hawaii)
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Antonio Sciarrotta '22
Alston & Bird
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MEET OUR NEW ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
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Over the past eight months, we have welcomed four new members to our Advisory Board. Composed of a select group of the Law School's most distinguished recent alumni in the real estate industry, the Advisory Board provides advice and guidance in connection with the Institute’s long-term planning. Members of the Advisory Board also serve as representatives of the Institute within their organizations and the industry, helping to promote our brand to the benefit of the Law School and our students. In addition, by meeting with students, participating in networking events, and making introductions to industry contacts, Advisory Board members help advance our students’ career development.
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Donna Marie Korth '86
Partner in the Litigation and Coop/Condo Practice Groups at Certilman Balin, LLP (May 2022)
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Ben Clack '15
Real Estate Counsel at Curaleaf (May 2022)
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Colleen Collins '88
General Counsel of Heatherwood Luxury Rentals (August 2022)
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Matthew Donoghue '12
Counsel at Greenberg Traurig LLP (November 2022)
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MEET OUR NEW FACULTY MEMBERS
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Advisory Board member J.J. Sherman '00
Principal at the Law Offices of J.J. Sherman, P.C., taught Drafting: Real Estate Transactions for the first time this fall
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Michael McCarthy '04 of Stroock has been selected as an Adjunct Professor to teach Advanced Topics in Real Estate Law, which will be offered for the first time this spring.
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REAL ESTATE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT SERIES
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This past fall, we unveiled the Mattone Institute Real Estate Alumni Spotlight Series, where each month we showcase a member of our unrivalled real estate law alumni family. To date, we've featured Chris Palmer '94, Meryl Diamond '99, Hon. John Lansden '91, Yosefa Heber '13, Peter S. Chang '03, Tara Mulrooney '01, and Michael Romer '99.
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STUDENT ORGANIZATION ACTIVITY UPDATE
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NY REAL PROPERTY LAW JOURNAL
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Under the leadership of its 2022-23 Editorial Board (including Tyler Mittleman '23, Editor-in-Chief;
Nadia Balkaran '23 and Helen Tuckman '23, Executive Managing Editors; Sara Leston '23,
Michael Forlini '23 and Kelly McNamee '23, Associate Managing Editors; and Rory Buckley '23, Julianny Monegro Fermin '23, Ronald Reid '23 and Boris Myers '23, Articles and Notes Editors), our student editors continue to assist with the review and editing of the New York State Bar Association Real Property Law Section's official publication, and in so doing, learn about cutting-edge issues in New York real estate law practice while building their research and writing skills. In December, another substantively rich issue - Vol. 50 No. 2 - went to print.
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REAL PROPERTY LAW SOCIETY
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The Real Property Law Society is our student-run organization affiliated with the Mattone Institute focused on real estate law. During the 2022-23 academic year, its executive board includes Billy Michaca '23, President; Anna Poulakas '23, VP; Giancarlo Conte '23, Treasurer; Natalie Borukhov '23, Chair of Alumni Relations; Danny Mosayov '23, Chair of Events; and Kimberly Moyal '23, Social Media Chair. They have hosted or co-hosted a number of events thus far this academic year, all of which are listed under "Special Events" (above).
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ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SOCIETY
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Thus far this academic year, the Environmental Law Society has hosted a number of student-focused events, including a Dialogue Day with environmental activist Steven Donziger; a Coffee Hour for members with the E-Board; a panel discussion entitled "West Virginia v. EPA: Analyzing the Decision"; and a luncheon with John Beling '88, Commissioner of VT’s Dep’t of Environmental Conservation. They also co-sponsored with the NYC Bar Association an event entitled "Building Power in the Public Sector: DEI and Anti-Racism at Environmental Jobs in Government". The organization is led by an executive board including Nadia Balkaran '23, President; Tatiana Zapata '23, Vice President; Juliana Ventresca '24, Secretary; Sandra Deng '24 and Joe Mottola '23, Co-Directors of Events; and Jared Paul '23, Director of Diversity and Inclusion.
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ATTENTION STUDENTS:
2023 MATTONE INSTITUTE WRITING COMPETITION!
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If you have written a paper on a real estate or land use law topic, consider submitting it for consideration in the 2023 Mattone Institute Annual Writing Competition. Papers must be submitted by the author or may be nominated for consideration by a St. John's faculty member. In either case, papers must be submitted to Robert J. Sein, Director of the Mattone Institute at seinr@stjohns.edu by no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on March 31, 2023. The Competition is intended to encourage and reward writing on the subject of real property law by St. John's University School of Law students and to foster additional scholarship and interest in this area. The winning paper receives a $500 cash award as well as other benefits. The competition is limited to currently enrolled St. John's University School of Law JD and LLM students. Official Rules are available on the Mattone Institute website. Past winners include Holly Constants '22 ("Freedom to Contract Injunction Waivers in Commercial Leases", subsequently published in the American Bar Association Probate & Property Journal) and Joseph Mottola '23 ("Theft of the American Dream: NYC's Third Party Transfer Program", forthcoming in the St. John’s Law Review, 2022).
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ATTENTION STUDENTS:
SUMMER PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWSHIPS!
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If you have plans to obtain a summer position with a non-profit or governmental organization, consider applying for a 2023 Summer Public Interest Fellowship. Applications are usually made available by the Public Interest Center in March. The Mattone Institute is proud to sponsor one Fellow each year who is representing traditionally underrepresented clients, groups, or interests relevant to real estate law, including housing, land use, development, environmental, landlord-tenant and/or community redevelopment. Past recipients of the Mattone Institute Summer Public Interest Fellowship include Sara Leston '23 (Queens County Housing Court, 2021) and Nadia Balkaran '23 (United States EPA, 2022).
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS / UPCOMING EVENTS
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We have some great events already on tap for the spring semester, and other events are expected to be added on an ongoing basis. Student members of the Real Property Law Society receive e-mailed announcements regarding all student-focused events, and alumni who are on our list of real estate alumni receive advance notice of all alumni-focused events. If you'd like to be added to either list, please reach out to Rob Sein at seinr@stjohns.edu.
- On Tuesday January 24, 1:00-5:00 pm, our NY Real Property Law Journal members will be honored for their contributions at the NYSBA Real Property Law Section Annual Meeting.
- On Thursday February 2, 5:00-6:00 pm, we will hold a Mattone Institute Virtual Information Session about real estate programs at St. John's Law. This event is open to students.
- On Friday February 3, starting at 9:30 am, we will co-sponsor a virtual panel discussion with the Alumnae Leadership Council and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations featuring a number of recent alumnae practicing real estate law. Event will be open to alumni.
- On Friday February 3, 2:00-5:00 pm, a group of students will visit The Inlet at Atlantic, a multifamily development in Oceanside, New York, for a site tour and lunch with attorneys who worked on this interesting project.
- On Thursday February 23, 6-8 pm, we will hold a Real Estate Fellow Alumni Reunion Dinner for current and alumni Real Estate Fellows, likely at the New York Athletic Club. Event is by invitation only.
- On Wednesday March 1, 5:00-6:00 pm, we will host the next iteration of the Mattone Institute CLE Series. Tom Maira '96 will present on Crucial Issues Every Real Estate Attorney Needs to Know About Joint Venture Agreements. Event will be open to the public.
- On the weekend of March 11-12, as part of the Mattone Institute CLE Series, we will hold Real Estate Law From Contract to Closing: Unearthing the Landmines Buried in a NY Residential Real Estate Contract -- live at the Law School for the first time since 2020! The event will be moderated and chaired by Vincent J. Gallo, Esq.
- On Thursday March 23, 5:30-7:00 pm, we will hold our Eleventh Semi-annual Recent Alumni in Real Estate Roundtable. Event will be open to students.
- On Tuesday May 16, 6:00-8:00 pm, we will hold our Mattone Institute Spring Reception and Awards Ceremony at which we will award the 2023 Mattone Institute Alumni Achievement Award. This event will be preceded by a meeting of the Mattone Institute Advisory Board. Venue will likely be at Pride Flight Deck, 420 Lexington Ave.
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ABOUT THE MATTONE INSTITUTE FOR REAL ESTATE LAW
The Mattone Institute, St. John's focal point for real estate law, is dedicated to preparing aspiring real estate attorneys for practice through exceptional academic programs and curriculum, unique career development opportunities, and extraordinary special events. Moreover, by way of symposia, conferences and other special programs, the Institute provides a platform for the discussion and debate of cutting-edge real estate issues and is a trusted resource to alumni, practitioners and the real estate community at large.
Preparing Aspiring Real Estate Attorneys for Practice
At St. John's Law, students interested in real estate law participate in a rich spectrum of programs and learning opportunities, both in and out of the classroom, which give them the tools they need to succeed in practice after graduation.
- Curriculum – Students learn from leading real estate law scholars and practitioners in courses that are part of our innovative real estate curriculum.
- Fellowship Program – 2L and 3L students selected to participate in our Real Estate Law Fellowship Program have an opportunity to pursue a unified course of study in real estate law.
- Special Events – By attending our real estate-focused special events, including our Mattone Institute Speaker Series and our Mattone Institute CLE Series, students gain insight into the real estate business and the practice of real estate law, and develop their professional networks.
- Career Development Support – Starting in their first semester of law school, the Mattone Institute's Director works with students to help them develop their real estate law credentials and find jobs.
- Alumni – Students have access to our superb network of dedicated alumni, including leaders throughout the real estate community in New York City and beyond. Alumni frequently mentor students and connect them with job opportunities.
- Pre-professional, Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Activities – The Real Property Law Society provides a forum for students to discuss real estate law and the real estate industry. By participating in our real estate-focused externships and internships, students can gain practical skills and bolster their professional credentials. Staff members on the N.Y. Real Property Law Journal have the opportunity to hone their legal research and writing skills and gain experience on cutting-edge issues in real estate law. Our Writing Competition recognizes student excellence in real property law scholarship.
- Clinics – Our Tenant's Rights Advocacy Clinic and Consumer Justice for the Elderly Clinic provide our students with an opportunity to learn transactional, litigation, and client counseling skills by representing real clinics on real cases.
Support the Institute
The Mattone Institute was endowed with a transformational gift by Joseph M. Mattone, Sr., '53C, '55L, '93HON, the chairman and chief executive office of the Mattone Group. Our programs and scholarships are also made possible through resources provided by our generous supporters and donors.
- To donate, please contact Brian Woods, Associate Dean for Law School Advancement at 718-990-5792 or brian.woods@stjohns.edu
- If you are interested in hiring or mentoring a student, guest lecturing, teaching a CLE, or collaborating in another way, please contact Director Rob Sein (contact details below).
Stay Up-To-Date / More Information
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