Welcome to See infra, our e-newsletter delivering a sampling of news from St. John's Law. 

When Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum addressed a room full of friends, family, colleagues, and avid Law School supporters at the Harvard Club of New York City this month, she unveiled a vision for St. John’s Law that will usher in the next century of an outstanding legal education.

She shared, "I'm here because I'm inspired by the mission of St. John's Law and St. John's University. It’s a place that brings together a belief in the value of educational excellence and service, and these are the same values that shaped my upbringing. That's why I'm excited to bring forward a vision of excellence, prominence, and impact to St. John's University School of Law. In partnership with all of you, I look forward to bringing that vision to life."

Concluding her remarks to audience cheers and applause, Dean Jefferson Exum said, "The St. John’s Law education impacts the legal profession and the communities that we, as lawyers, serve. Guided by St. John's Vincentian mission, our students learn to use their vocations to better society and to care for their communities. That is what St. John's Law has done for almost 100 years, and that is what we will do for the next 100 as we look to the future. Let us continue to work together to build all that makes St. John's Law extraordinary."

Over at the LSSSE Blog, Dean Exum writes about "The Role of Data in Mission-Focused Law School Leadership." Here's an excerpt:

"The mission of St. John’s Law focuses on providing access to an excellent legal education for a diverse student body; teaching and scholarly innovation; building an antiracist community; inspiring civic engagement; and developing leaders. I realize that in order to lead the law school in a manner that stays true to this mission, I need to have an in-depth and nuanced understanding of our student body and their experiences. The data provided by LSSSE are a powerful tool for any law dean – especially one new to an institution – to learn about their student population and the broader legal education landscape. That data, in turn, can assist a dean in supporting the mission of the school." Read the full blog post.

You’re invited to a wonderful evening of mixing, mingling, and reminiscing with your St. John’s Law classmates and Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum:

Date
Saturday, November 9, 2024

Location
New York Athletic Club

Register to Attend
Please register to attend online by Friday, November 1, 2024.

Make a Gift
Can’t attend Reunion 2024? You can still take part in the celebration and support alma mater when you give to the St. John’s Law Fund today. Thank you!

Recently, alumni and friends came together at the Nassau Country Club for our annual Fall Alumni Golf Outing. The day began with a delicious brunch, followed by a round of golf to support student scholarships at St. John’s Law. Later, at dinner, attendees honored Joseph Vaccaro '98, Banking and Insurance Tax Practice Leader at KPMG New York Financial Services.

Earlier this month, our Center for Bankruptcy Studies brought together current and former American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Law Review members for a fun-filled evening of networking, celebrating the journal’s bright future, and remembering beloved late Professor Robert Zinman, who founded the ABI Law Review. Thanks to Jeffrey Cohen '00 and fellow St. John’s Law alumni for hosting the event at their firm, Lowenstein Sandler.

The October edition of our Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law’s Real Estate Alumni Spotlight Series features Gayle Mandaro '87CBA, '92L, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Transactions at MAG Partners.

As we welcome cooler temperatures, falling leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, and all the excitement of the fall season, there’s no better time to earn continuing legal education (CLE) credits through our Virtual Fall CLE Series. The Series consists of six virtual programs presented from October through December. Both veteran and newly admitted attorneys can participate, and you can register for as many of the programs as you like. Learn more about each program and register to attend online.

Professor Robin Boyle’s co-authored article, "Merging the Bench, Bar, and Law Schools: How a Student Scholars Program Achieves Professional Identity Through Scholarly Writing, Mentorship, and Presentation," has been published in the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law's UMKC Law Review. The article spotlights the Student Scholars Program the co-authors coordinate through the Federal Bar Association’s Eastern District of New York Chapter at their respective law schools.

"Dividing Trademark Use” is the latest paper from Professor Jeremy Sheff, who co-directs our Intellectual Property Law Center. It looks at the "complicated and in many ways confused" topic of use through the lens of two recent U.S. Supreme Court cases, Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC and Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic International, Inc. The paper, which will be published in the Columbia Journal of Law and the Arts.

Professor John Q. Barrett gave the Constitution Day lecture at Duquesne University (13:00 mark). His topic was Justice Robert H. Jackson and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Path to Brown v. Board of Education. Professor Barrett is a biographer of Hon. Robert H. Jackson, who served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1941-1954. Justice Jackson was one of the nine justices who decided unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that public school racial segregation is unconstitutional.

As this Queens Chronicle story details, Professor Tyler Rose Clemons participated in a recent Constitution Day forum on The Evolution of the U.S. Constitution — A Constitution Day Look Back and Forward presented by the Historical Society of the New York Courts in conjunction with Queens Family Court and King Manor Museum.

Professor Elissa Germaine and Professor Christine Lazaro, who lead the Law School’s in-house Securities Arbitration Clinic, participated in the Practising Law Institute’s Securities Arbitration 2024 program. Professor Lazaro moderated a panel on Reg BI - Have Arbitrations Changed in the Wake of the New Standard of Care and Professor Germaine participated on the panel Staying Ahead of the Curve: Hot Topics and Future Trends.

Growing up in Central Islip on Long Island, football was more than just a game for Livingstone Harriott Jr. '25. It was a microcosm for life, offering lessons that still guide him on his path to becoming a lawyer and as he gives back to his hometown community. Livingstone carries that appreciation for sports and community forward as he completes his legal education at St. John’s Law and prepares to work full time as a corporate attorney. Read more about Livingstone and his path to law school, experience at St. John's, and community service on the playing field.

Every year in the fall, St. John's Law honors the remarkable legal career of the late Hon. Milton Mollen '50, '78HON and celebrates his contributions to the public good by hosting the Hon. Milton Mollen Moot Court Competition. The internal competition brings together the newest members of our Moot Court Honor Society to advocate through preliminary rounds. In the final round, the competitors face a distinguished panel of judges, including Scott Mollen '72, a St. John’s Law alumnus and son of the competition’s namesake.

Congratulations to this year's winners and finalists:

Congratulations also go to the Moot Court Honor Society Board, especially Michelle Gonikman '25, Senior Director of Internal Competitions, for a job well done!

The New York State Bar Association published a case comment written by Mattone Institute Real Estate Fellow Piero Sauñe Casas '25. The comment focuses on a recent New York long-arm jurisdiction case, Oasis Investments II Master Fund Ltd. v. Mo.

Kudos to Harmonia Peet '25 and Jack Adams '25 on their Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development (JCRED) Best Note writing competition wins! Harmonia earned first place for her piece, "Pay the Damn Kids! What New York State Can Do to Protect Youth Sibling Caregivers." Jack was named runner up for his piece, "Contract Soldiers in the Fog of War: Defining, Regulating, and Safeguarding the Rights of Lawful Private Combatants Admist the Legal Ambiguities of Modern Proxy Warfare."

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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