Founded in 1870 by the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), St. John’s University is proud to fulfill its mission by educating one of the most diverse student bodies in the United States. The University instills in its students not only the desire for knowledge and pursuit of academic excellence, but also the compassion to serve others—especially those most in need—following the example of St. Vincent de Paul. The University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and 12 other major academic and professional associations, and offers programs and services in multiple locations, including Queens and Manhattan in New York, as well as three European locations (i.e., Rome, Italy; Paris, France; and Limerick, Ireland).
St. John’s Law is a close-knit community that reflects the richness and diversity of our dynamic New York City home in Queens, “The World’s Borough.” The Law School opened in 1925 to serve a growing immigrant population in New York City and to provide those lacking economic, physical, or social advantages with a top-flight legal education. The Law School benefits from New York City’s cultural diversity, its intellectual and artistic resources, and its unique professional and educational opportunities, and we strive to reflect and foster that same richness and diversity in everything we do. Our most recent incoming class is our most diverse ever, with 42 percent identifying as students of color and 14 percent identifying as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Leveraging our location in the legal capital of the world, we offer our students hands-on learning through a wide array of externship and clinical offerings. The Law School has four “in-house” clinics in Child Advocacy, Consumer Justice for the Elderly, Defense and Advocacy, and Securities Arbitration. Students broaden this foundational education through international programs, advocacy competitions, student-run journals, and 12 academic centers and institutes. These centers, which bring together faculty, students, and alumni to address pressing issues of local, national, and global importance, include those focused on Bankruptcy Studies, Intellectual Property, International and Comparative Law, Labor and Employment Law, Law and Religion, Race and Law, and Trial and Appellate Advocacy. They include centers named for or endowed by our prominent and devoted alumni, including the Hugh L. Carey Center for Dispute Resolution, the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law, and the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights.
Our popular LL.M. program in US Legal Studies is designed to provide foreign-trained attorneys with the knowledge and skills needed to pass the New York Bar Examination. We also offer specialized LL.M. degrees in Bankruptcy, Real Estate, and Transnational Legal Practice. Across all these programs, our student-centered approach focuses on developing the practical skills, targeted expertise, and professional connections our graduates need to succeed in legal practice.
Year in and year out, the number of students transferring out of St. John’s is either zero or in the low single digits. When our students graduate, they surpass nationwide and New York State rates for bar passage and “gold-standard” employment metrics (i.e., full-time, long-term, bar required, and J.D. advantage). They proudly join a loyal and generous worldwide network of more than 17,000 alumni, including distinguished public servants, federal and state judges, preeminent law firm and business leaders, pioneering entrepreneurs, and advocates for social justice. Whatever professional path they take, our students carry with them St. John’s Vincentian values, understanding that law is a vocation through which they can live justly and better the world. Currently ranked 60th in U.S. News & World Report, we were named a “2023 Go-To Law School” by law.com for our success in placing graduates in the 100 biggest law firms.
As we approach the 100th anniversary of our founding, St. John’s is a school on the rise, and we eagerly seek the next Dean who can help lead the Law School into its next century.
Reporting to University Provost Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., the Dean serves as a key member of the University’s executive leadership team, working in close partnership with other deans and executive officers of the University. The Dean pursues the key priorities of the Law School alongside students, faculty, administrators, staff, and alumni. As chief administrative officer of the Law School, the Dean sets the School’s strategic direction and advances its mission by overseeing marketing and communications, personnel, budget and finance, academic programs, and fundraising. The Dean works with an executive team to lead the School in pursuing its mission. Current direct reports include the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Vice Dean for Student Success, Associate Dean for Enrollment and External Relations, Associate Dean of Advancement, Executive Director of Finance, and Chief of Staff and Assistant Dean for Administrative Services.
For more information, please see the full Position Specification.
St. John’s University invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Dean of the Law School. Interested candidates should confidentially submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest (Adobe PDF files preferred) to
Joi Hayes-Scott
Executive Search Consultant, Russell Reynolds Associates
For fullest consideration, materials should be received as soon as possible and preferably by October 16.
Compensation Disclosure
The compensation available for the role considers a variety of factors, including but not limited to, work location, individual skill set, previous/applicable experience, and other business needs. The estimated salary range for individuals who work in New York is $400,000–$450,000. The above salary range represents St. John’s University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the possible base salary range at the time of posting and is one part of the total rewards the University provides to employees.
