Welcome to See infra, our e-newsletter delivering a sampling of news from St. John’s Law, including: innovative courses, programs, and hands-on learning opportunities; faculty scholarship with real-world impact; students who bring unique and diverse perspectives to the study of law; alumni who make their mark in the profession; and the many ways our community members live St. John's Vincentian mission of helping those in need.

IN BRIEF

Meet the Incoming Class of 2020
They're from near and far. An orthodontist. A TV news anchor. A former model. Baristas, teachers, CPAs, journalists, bartenders, paralegals, and business owners. Military veterans, activists, semi-pro athletes, dancers, musicians, a half dozen black belts, and more.

We're so happy to welcome our diverse and talented incoming Class of 2020 to St. John's Law. Whether with us in person or remotely, they're now part of a wonderful teaching and learning community.

As Dean Michael  A. Simons shared: “It’s not the building that defines us; it’s the people—all working together to create something: lawyers that our world sorely needs.”

Look to your left, look to your right, and read more.

With a Pivot Came Opportunity
“After my original summer internship was cancelled, my placement with the Law School’s Child Advocacy Clinic was like a light at the end of a tunnel,” says Brigitte Nunez '22. She was one of 51 students who participated in the Law School’s Summer 2020 Student Employment Program, which launched as the pandemic upended students’ summer work plans.

“This was an extraordinary—and an extraordinarily difficult—time for our students,” says Jeanne Ardan, the Law School’s Associate Dean for Career Development and Externships and the program’s architect. “We knew we had to do something quickly to support them. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort, but the program came together beautifully.” 

Read all about it!

Spend an Evening with Dean Simons
Mark your calendars for the  Law Matters webcast on Tuesday, October 6, 2020. We’re switching things up as Law School Alumni Association President Michelle Johnson ’05  takes the host seat and talks to special guest  Dean Michael A. Simons  about the unprecedented past six-plus months and the start of the new academic year. 

Alumni in the virtual audience will have a chance to contribute to the conversation during a Q&A session. There’s no fee to attend, but p lease register in advance. 

See you there!

Run for Racial Justice
On Saturday, October 31, 2020, the St. John’s Law Alumni Association’s Alumni of Color Chapter is hosting a virtual 5K Run for Racial Justice.

Whether you’re hitting the roads or the trails near you, we’ve got all the high-quality, event-branded gear you’ll need to run in style for a great cause. All sale proceeds go directly to support the Law School’s diversity & inclusion initiatives.

Buy your race apparel now at our online pop-up store so you'll be ready to get set and go on race day. (We’ll share race registration and other details soon.)

Thanks for your support!

FACULTY FOCUS

Publications
Professor Renee Nicole Allen’s article, "From Academic Freedom to Cancel Culture: Silencing Black Women in the Legal Academy," will be published in the UCLA Law Review. The article updates and contextualizes the treatment of black women law professors, exploring the ways white academic norms, like academic freedom and hierarchy, explicitly and implicitly silence black women and “cancel” their academic careers.

In “Integrating Originalism and Stare Decisis,” an essay for Law & Liberty, Cary Fields Professor of Law Marc O. DeGirolami diagnoses the problem stare decisis poses for originalism and surveys recent doctrine and scholarship on the subject.

Professor Elayne E. Greenberg’s co-authored article, "Designing Binge-Worthy Courses: Pandemic Pleasures and Covid Consequences," will appear in the Negotiation Journal, a publication of Harvard's Program on Negotiation. In her latest “Ethical Compass” column for the New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer, Professor Greenberg highlights what arbitrators and mediators could consider when they transition their in-person persona online.

"The Cognitive Power of Analogies in the Legal Writing Classroom," by Professor Patricia Montana, has been accepted for publication in the Southern Illinois University Law Journal. According to the article, law students traditionally learn better when they can connect what they're learning to a familiar, non-legal experience. One way to help them make that connection is to use analogies in teaching legal analysis and writing.

Broadcasts
During this unusual summer,  Professor John Q. Barrett  delivered virtual lectures and participated in online conversations on the life and work of the late U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson. You can catch up on his recent appearances and view some of the recordings via our Faculty Scholarship Blog.

In the latest episode of their Legal Spirits podcast, recorded especially for our 1Ls (and law students everywhere), Professors Marc O. DeGirolami and Mark L. Movsesian, who co-direct the Law School’s  Center for Law and Religion, explore legal themes in the classic film about Thomas More, A Man for All Seasons (1966). Listen in.

Celebrations
On Thursday, September 17, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. join us on Zoom for a special event celebrating the publication of Predatory Lending and the Destruction of the  African-American Dream  (Cambridge University Press) by Professor Cheryl Wade and University of British Columbia Law Professor Janis Sarra.

The book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how systemic anti-black racism has caused, and continues to widen, the racial wealth gap between black and white Americans. It provides cogent insight in the aftermath of the ongoing global protests against institutional racism and is a crucial contribution to the discourse about why black (economic) lives matter.

With a distinguished panel, the authors will lead a conversation about 21st  century economic exploitation through predatory lending practices that intentionally target African Americans.

There’s no cost to attend the program, but please register in advance by completing and submitting the  webinar registration form.

STUDENT SUCCESS

Resilience
Ciara Villalona-Lockhart ’22 was devastated when her summer fellowship was cancelled due to the public health crisis. But, instead of giving up, she pivoted and spent the summer serving people in need remotely through the Nassau County Bar Association's COVID-19 Law Student Pro Bono Program. Read her story.

#MySummer2020
As we have for the past few years, from June to August we ran a social media campaign to spotlight our students’ summer work. Here’s just a sampling of those #MySummer2020 posts:

St. John’s Law Summer Public Interest Fellow Ashley Williams '21 is a summer honors intern in the New York City Law Department's Commercial and Real Estate Litigation Division, where she's working on a range of real estate disputes and commercial leasing/contract issues.

Working with Apple's Products Law Group this summer, Marcela Pertusi Hernandex '22 is seeing what in-house attorneys do at the intersection of law, business, and technology and learning about the role of IP in innovation and new product development from a global view.

It's a busy summer x 2 for Ed Belotte '21. As a Legal Intern at Oppenheimer he works on regulatory issues, litigation defense, risk management, and other assignments. He's also learning the law hands on interning for Hon. Larry D. Martin in the NYS Supreme Court Commercial Division.

Alessia Riccio '22 plans to be a public defender. So she's thrilled to have a summer internship—as a St. John’s Law Summer Public Interest Fellow—a Exoneration Initiative, a nonprofit that provides free legal assistance to the wrongfully convicted, with a focus on cases lacking DNA evidence.

Through the NYSBA’s Kenneth G. Standard Diversity Internship Program, Ian Amann-Rao '22 is building practical skills and gaining invaluable experience this summer at Salesforce as he works on a range of projects and assignments for the Commercial Legal Team and other in-house lawyers.

As a U.S. summer associate at Linklaters, Maria Vaz Ferreira '21 has built strong connections working remotely with the firm's Latin America and Dispute Resolution teams. She's immensely grateful for the experience, and looks forward to joining the firm after graduation.

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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IN BRIEF

FACULTY FOCUS

STUDENT SUCCESS

Comments, Suggestions, or Content Ideas?Please email Lori Herz, See infra's Managing Editor and Lead Writer, at herzl@stjohns.edu.

Comments, Suggestions, or Content Ideas?
Please email Lori Herz, See infra's Managing Editor and Lead Writer, at herzl@stjohns.edu.