Teaching Middle School Students About Our Legal System

With Paul Clagnaz, Principal, St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope

Earlier this month, St. John’s hosted the annual Catholic Middle School Mock Trial Program, a joint endeavor with St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope Regional School on Long Island.  Each year for the past several years, over two hundred middle school students have participated in the program.  The students spend weeks preparing their cases and practicing with lawyer coaches and mentors. On the day of the mock trial, they present their cases in a realistic setting with Law School faculty, alumni and friends volunteering as judges.  Faculty, alumni, and other members of the Law School community serve as judges.  The full story and more photos are here.

Each year, I marvel at how well prepared the students are.   They may be only twelve or thirteen years old, but they end up acting like real trial lawyers – thinking on their feet, making their arguments with passion and conviction, and then nervously awaiting the verdict.  It is a wonderful experience for them, as they learn about our legal system, develop their analytical and reasoning skills, practice public speaking, and build up their self-confidence.

St. John’s is pleased to sponsor the program because it fits so well with our Vincentian mission.  First, it is part of the Law School’s commitment to opening up the pipeline to the legal profession  for students who would not otherwise be exposed to these opportunities.  Second, it is part of the University’s commitment to supporting the continuum of Catholic education, especially Catholic elementary and secondary schools in New York.

Honors for Prof. Parella and Prof. Baynes

I am pleased to announce two faculty honors.  First, at its meeting earlier this month, the University’s Board of Trustees, upon the unanimous recommendation of the Law School Faculty Council, awarded the title Professor Emeritus to Robert Parella. Prof. Parella retired from full-time teaching last year, after 50 years on the faculty. The Board of Trustees’s resolution noted its “respect, affection and gratitude” for Prof. Parella. Needless to say, we all share the Board’s warm feelings for Bob — and we’re very happy that he continues to teach at the Law School.

Second, upon my recommendation, Provost Julia Upton has named Prof. Leonard Baynes to be the Grand Marshal for the Law School’s Commencement Exercises on June 3.  This is a fitting honor to recognize Len’s many contributions as a teacher, a scholar, and a tireless worker for diversity.  Both St. John’s and the legal profession are better because of Len’s dedication.  He will be joined at Commencement by Faculty Marshal Paul Kirgis (a role traditionally filled by the Professor of the Year) and Student Marshal Andrianna Mavides (a role traditionally filled by the Law Review Editor-in-Chief).

Congratulations — and thank you — to Profs. Parella and Baynes for all they do.

Professors of the Year

Professor of the Year Paul Kirgis

St. John’s is blessed with a wealth of excellent teachers.  Each year, our students select one faculty member as the “Professor of the Year.”  In addition, the students also single out other faculty members for recognition. Congratulations to the faculty who were recognized this year:

• Paul Kirgis – Professor of the Year
• Marc DeGirolami – 1L Professor of the Year
• Jane Scott – Legal Writing Professor of the Year
• Deepa Varadarajan –Best New Professor
• Heather Butts – Adjunct Professor of the Year
• Joseph Gagliano – Adjunct Professor of the Year

My thanks to the SBA for organizing the Professor of the Year elections.

Carey Center Inaugurates Mangano Grant Program

Judge Mangano, sporting his Belson Medal along with Jerry Belson ’48, ’80HON

Last month, the Hugh L. Carey Center for Dispute Resolution launched the Mangano Grant Program.  Endowed through the generosity of Hon. Guy J. Mangano ’55, ’83HON, the Mangano Grant Program provides grants to St. John’s students and alumni to pursue opportunities and to conduct research in the field of alternative dispute resolution. Mangano Grants support students in their development as dispute resolution practitioners and support alumni who undertake projects that further the Carey Center’s mission of promoting conflict resolution as a value and a practice.

The Mangano Grants are funded by $200,000 endowment given to the Law School by Judge Mangano, the former Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division Second Department and a current neutral mediator and arbitrator.  The Law School was less than thirty years old when a young Guy Mangano arrived as a first-year student in 1952.  For the ensuing sixty years, while Judge Mangano excelled as a public servant, he also remained an integral part of the Law School — as president of our Alumni Association, as an adjunct professor, and as a friend and advisor to many deans (including me).  Judge Mangano has been part of the Law School for more than half of its existence — indeed, he is nearing the 30th anniversay of receiving his honorary degree.  Now, this endowment will ensure that Judge Mangano’s generosity will bless the Law School in perpetuity.

Congratulations to Daniel Merker ’11, Nk Udogwu ’12, Ravin Shah ’13, and Emily Gornell ’13, who are the inaugural Mangano Grant recipients.  The full description of their projects is here.

Justice Scalia’s Visit to St. John’s

The Hon. Joseph W. Bellacosa Distinguished Jurist in Residence

One of the highlights of the semester was Justice Scalia’s two-day visit earlier this month.  Justice Scalia taught two classes, visited with faculty, conducted a public “conversation” with Judge (and former Dean) Joseph W. Bellacosa ’61, ‘87HON, and mingled with students and alumni at a reception.  The full story of Justice Scalia’s visit, complete with many photos, is here.

Justice Scalia began his visit by conducting the Colloquium on Law & Religion, an innovative course taught by Professors Mark Movsesian and Marc DeGirolami.  For two hours, Justice Scalia engaged in an intense, enlightening, and high-level conversation with the sixteen students in the seminar, as an audience of faculty and alumni watched.

The following day, Justice Scalia returned to the Law School for a full day of activities as part of the Sixth Annual Honorable Joseph W. Bellacosa Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence Program. After a discussion with Law School faculty members, Justice Scalia spent the afternoon teaching Professor DeGirolami’s Constitutional Law class. He then joined Judge Bellacosa and a standing-room only audience of students, faculty, administrators and alumni for a “conversation” in the Belson Moot Court Room.The Bellacosa Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence Program was established by alumni and friends of Judge Bellacosa, who served for 14 years as an Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals before returning to St. John’s as Dean of the School of Law from 2000 to 2004. Past Jurist-in-Residence honorees have included Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye (New York State Court of Appeals), Justice Dennis W. Archer (Michigan Supreme Court), Chief Justice Frank J. Williams (Rhode Island Supreme Court), Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick (New York State Court of Appeals) and former New York State Governor Mario Cuomo. In addition to Justice Scalia ― who first visited St. John’s in 2000 ― the Law School has hosted and honored five other members of the current Supreme Court: Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy, Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas. In October 2012, Justice Elena Kagan will be a Visiting Jurist at the Law School.

The Colloquium on Law and Religion

St. John’s Launches Two New LL.M. Programs

The National Law Journal today published an article highlighting our two new LL.M. programs: International Sports Law and Transnational Legal Practice.  The programs, which will begin in the fall, continue the rapid expansion of our global initiatives.  Both new programs are attributable to the leadership and vision of Jeff Walker, our (still new) Assistant Dean for Transnational Programs.  A profile of Dean Walker, and more information about both programs, is available here.

Grading Law Schools on Transparency

Over the course of the past year, law schools have begun making significant progress in improving the transparency of employment data.  St. John’s has been a leader in that effort.  Indeed, I have taken to referring to St. John’s as “one of the most transparent law schools in the country.” The latest issue of the National Jurist validates that claim.  Based on an analysis of information available on the websites of approximately 200 law schools, the magazine assigned each school a “grade” for employment transparency.  St. John’s was one of only six schools to receive an A+ (more than half of the schools received a grade of D or F).

I have no doubt that other law schools will eventually realize the importance of employment transparency.  But for now, it’s nice to have our leadership recognized.  It speaks volumes about our institutional values.

Core Strengths

The latest print issue of the Dean’s Docket, our alumni newsletter, is now available here.  In my introductory message, I note that the Law School’s ability to thrive during these challenging times is a testament to our core strengths: “a University that is large and supportive; students who are smart, hard-working, eager to learn and filled with entrepreneurial spirit; a faculty that is dedicated to teaching excellence and committed to preparing our students for the profession; and an alumni network that stays connected to the school and loyally gives back to support our students.”

The pages of the newsletter provide ample evidence of the strength of our alumni network.  I encourage you to give it a look.  My full message appears after the jump.

The Dean’s Report: Alumni Support 2010-2011

In December, our alumni received the annual Dean’s Report, summarizing the generous financial support that the Law School received during the 2010-2011 academic year.  Titled “Partners on the Path to Success,” the report chronicles the enduring partnership we have with our alumni and friends, a partnership that is vital to the Law School’s continuing success.

At St. John’s, our large network of loyal alumni has always been one of our great strengths. Our alumni generously serve our students as mentors, employers and benefactors. And that partnership is more important now than ever — because the generosity of our donors has enabled us to provide our students with essential scholarship support and to create and maintain innovative programs that prepare our students to practice law in a changing environment.

Our supporters were particularly generous last year. Despite lingering economic uncertainty, gifts increased across the board. Almost 2,000 alumni and friends donated more than $2 million. This support came from donors in the Founder’s Society (lifetime commitment of over $1 million), the Belson Circle (lifetime giving over $100,000) and the Loughlin Society (annual giving over $1,000), as well as from hundreds of other supporters who gave from the heart to help the Law School.

The full report is available here.  I encourage you to review it.  Not only does it list all of our generous donors, but it also brings to life the fruits of that generosity.  The students, recent alums, and donors profiled in the report continue to inspire me.

Karen Fernbach ’77 Appointed NLRB Regional Director

Congratulations to Adjunct Professor Karen Fernbach ’77, who last week was appointed Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board’s Manhattan Regional Office.  As Regional Director, Karen will be responsible for the enforcement of the nation’s primary labor law covering private sector employees in Manhattan and the Bronx, as well as in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, and Orange Counties.  The NLRB’s press release announcing her appointment is here.  St. John’s has deep connections with the NLRB, with dozens of graduates who have worked at the agency (including Gene Orza ’73) and a steady stream of NLRB Chairs who have visited St. John’s in recent years (including Bill Gould, Wilma Leibman, and Peter Hurtgen).

At the Law School, Regional Director Fernbach teaches Labor Law and Advanced Labor Law as part of our thriving labor and employment law program.  Under the leadership of Professor David Gregory, our new Center for Labor and Employment Law has become a hub of activity, regularly bringing top labor and employment lawyers to the school, hosting major conferences, and providing valuable opportunities and financial support to students pursuing careers in labor and employment law, all with the generous support of alumni and friends. The centerpiece of the program is our extensive curriculum, which combines coursework in traditional labor and employment subjects, skills training in dispute resolution, and experiential learning in field placements at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Labor, and, of course, the NLRB.