AALS has launched a series that will highlight a different member school and focus on a recent program or accomplishment in order to showcase the rich variety of approaches to legal education that makes up the American legal academy. A list of past highlights is available below.

Member School Highlight – St. John’s University School of Law

Location: Jamaica, New York
Founded: 1925
Joined AALS: 1946
Dean: Michael A. Simons

St. John’s University School of Law is a private law school opened in 1925 in Jamaica, New York. St. John’s Law’s mission is to help their diverse and talented 274 JD student body learn the fundamentals of the law, build practical skills, and uplift their communities. The mission remains strong today as students excel in the classroom, journals, clinics, externships, and competitions. Graduates of St. John’s Law surpass New York’s bar passage and employment averages annually and proudly join a worldwide network of 17,000+ alumni, including distinguished public servants, preeminent law firms and business leaders, and pioneering entrepreneurs.

St. John’s Law campus boasts a spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline

St. John’s Law takes a student-centric approach to academics and wellness with its robust Student Services team that supports student wellness inside and outside the classroom. With a focus on the intersection of wellness and academic achievement, the Law School offers peer-to-peer tutoring, mock law school exams, panels led by upper-level students, and other programs. Student Services also hosts regular study breaks where students can learn new skills like crochet, yoga, mindfulness meditation, or simply relax over coffee and tea. Students may also avail themselves of free, one-on-one mental health counseling with the Law School’s in-house clinical social worker. St. John’s Law encourages students to build meaningful relationships with faculty and administrators. Students make those connections in class, during faculty office hours, by attending Law School events, and at monthly themed dinners hosted by the deans in the Law School cafeteria.

Health and wellness is also a priority when students face unexpected financial hardships. The Student Services team is a vital resource at those times, partnering with generous alumni who donate to the Law School’s Student Emergency Fund. The St. John’s Law Student Emergency Fund seeks to assist students facing unexpected emergencies that put a strain on their ability to provide for basic needs. With support from the Fund, students can meet their basic needs like housing insecurity, food insecurity, and technological barriers so that students can focus on their studies at St. John’s Law.

“I’m proud of the student-centric culture of well-being that we’ve developed at St. John’s Law,” said Eric Shannon, Associate Dean for Student Services. “Our work is guided by the maxim that to do well, you must be well. We aim to give students the tools to find balance and establish meaningful habits of self-care in their daily lives. We also emphasize community-building and strive to create an environment in which all of our students feel a genuine sense of belonging. I’m heartened daily by how committed our students are to making the Law School—and by extension the legal profession—a kinder, more inclusive place.”