St. John's University School of Law

Introduction

St. John's University School of Law is a forceful presence and an integral part of the New York metropolitan area. It imparts to its students training and competency in the basic skills and techniques of the legal profession, a grasp of the history and the system of common law, and a familiarity with important statutes and decisions in federal and state jurisdictions.

St. John's School of Law is approved by the ABA and is a member of the AALS.

Physical Facilities and Library

The showpiece of the law school building is its beautiful law library, which incorporates the most recent advances in law library science and technology. It contains a computer laboratory and several study rooms for student conferences. The library occupies approximately 50,000 square feet on five of the eight building levels. It has been designated a depository library for US government and UN documents.

The School of Law has recently completed a major renovation of its moot court, producing a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that incorporates technologies that further the teaching and research missions of St. John's. In addition, the School of Law has completed renovations of first-year classrooms, clinic offices, the professional skills center, the writing center, and the faculty library.

New York City

The School of Law is located on the Queens Campus of St. John's University. Situated on almost 100 rolling acres in a residential area, the campus boasts a spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline. The campus is easily accessible to Manhattan and all of New York City, and the location provides opportunities and access to the world's largest law firms, businesses, government agencies, and courts.

Clinical and Externship Programs

Elective clinical programs and externships are available to second- and third-year students.

Externships: Civil, Criminal Justice, Judicial, Special Education, Judicial/Matrimonial Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Street Law.

Clinics: Elder Law; Child Advocacy; Securities Arbitration; Refugee and Immigrant Rights; Prosecution; Immigrant Tenant Advocacy; Bread and Life: Immigration; Criminal Defense; Bankruptcy Advocacy; Economic Justice; Domestic Violence Litigation; Consumer Protection; and Family Law Mediation.

Vincentian Scholarship Program

The mission statement of St. John's University School of Law calls for the law school "to provide a superior legal education for a diverse population of students with special awareness for economic fairness and equal opportunity, consistent with and in fulfillment of the Vincentian tradition and mission." In furtherance of this Vincentian tradition and mission, the School of Law provides five full-tuition Vincentian scholarships each year in its ongoing effort to achieve a diverse student body.

Student Activities

Publications—St. John's Law Review/St. Thomas More Institute for Research, Journal of Catholic Legal Studies, Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development, New York International Law Review, American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, N.Y. Litigator, and N.Y. Real Property Law Journal.

Mock Trial and Appellate Activities—Moot Court Honor Society, Frank S. Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute.

Specialized Legal Activities—Student Bar Association, Admiralty Law Society, Women's Law Association, Bankruptcy Law Society, Environmental Law Club, International Law Society, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment Club, Real Property Club, Black Law Students Association, South Asian Law Students Association, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Latino American Law Students Association, and Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Society.The school also maintains chapters in two legal societies, Phi Delta Phi and Phi Alpha Delta.

Special Diversity Admission Program

The School of Law sponsors a program for individuals who have faced the challenges of discrimination, chronic financial hardship, or other social, educational, or physical disadvantages to such an extent that their undergraduate performance or LSAT score would not otherwise warrant unconditional acceptance into the entering class. This Summer Institute Program consists of a substantive course taught and graded according to the same qualitative standard applied to all first-year courses, as well as a legal writing course. The program enables individuals whose LSAT scores and GPAs are not reliable predictors of their success to demonstrate their ability to succeed in the study of law.

Centers

Hugh L. Carey Center for Dispute Resolution, Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development, Center for Bankruptcy Studies, Center for International and Comparative Law, Center for Labor and Employment Law, Center for Law and Religion, Writing Center, Center for Professional Skills, and Public Interest Law Center.

Academic Support

The Writing Center is a place where students can brainstorm about ideas, practice writing exam essays, edit scholarly pieces, submit papers to writing competitions, find publication sources for articles, polish briefs and memoranda for use as writing samples, practice proper citation form, hone grammar skills, or get help with any general writing problems. The Writing Center was recently renovated, is located on the first floor of the law school building, and is staffed by some of the law school's best writers.

Career Development

The Career Development Office provides an array of services, including résumé and cover letter critiquing, mock interview coaching, job and judicial clerkship postings, newsletters, lists of prospective employers, interview programs, and career education panels. Recent graduates have obtained employment in many areas of the legal profession. The placement rate at nine months after graduation for all graduates of the class of 2011 was 84.8 percent. When full-time degree-seekers and graduates not seeking employment are removed from the denominator, and graduates with deferred start dates are added to the numerator and denominator, the placement rate for the Class of 2011 was 88.7 percent.

Alumni of the law school are currently practicing throughout the United States and its territories. Many have achieved positions of prominence in executive and legislative branches of the government, as members of the judiciary, and in both private and corporate practice. Two recent governors of New York, a congressman for New York, a recent governor of the US Virgin Islands, and a former governor of California were graduates of St. John's School of Law.

Financial Aid and Housing

The School of Law provides extensive financial scholarship aid to students annually. There are university housing facilities, and many students find other suitable living accommodations in the vicinity of the university. In addition, the Admission Office coordinates a housing network for students.

Summer Study-Abroad Programs

Each summer, St. John's University offers study-abroad programs as a way to enjoy the experience of learning in a different setting. Students have the pleasure of learning and gaining credits toward graduation in Rome and Paris. Courses in International or Comparative Law are traditionally offered in a four-week program (for up to six credits for each program). US and international law students are allowed to apply. They also have the opportunity to visit top Italian and French legal institutions and develop networking connections for future reference. Limited externships are available after each program.

LLM Programs

LLM in Bankruptcy—St. John's has the nation's first master's program in bankruptcy. It is designed to meet an important and special educational need in the field of bankruptcy law. Matriculating students will be required to complete 30 credits, including the preparation and defense of a major thesis on a current significant bankruptcy topic. Students may matriculate on a full- or part-time basis.

LLM in US Legal Studies—St. John's offers an LLM program tailored exclusively for international law school graduates. The program is one year in residence and requires the completion of 24 credits. Students may enroll on a full- or part-time basis.

Beginning in Fall 2012, St. John's will introduce two new LLM programs, an LLM in International and Comparative Sports Law and an LLM in Transnational Legal Practice.

Applicant Profile

St. John's University School of Law

	GPA
LSAT Score	3.75+	3.50–3.74	3.25–3.49	3.00–3.24	2.75–2.99	2.50–2.74	2.25–2.49	2.00–2.24	Below 2.00
LSAT score 175–180	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 170–174	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 165–169	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 160–164	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 155–159	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 150–154	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 145–149	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 140–144	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 135–139	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 130–134	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 125–129	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 120–124	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely

Good  = Good Possibility

Possible  = Possible

Unlikely  = Unlikely

Average LSAT data reported.