The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic
Development strives to enhance the the pool of students of color
going to law school, lawyers of color entering legal academia and
lawyers of color interested in higher education administration. We
achieve this goal, in part, therough the following pipeline
initiatives:
Legal Outreach
Program
Since 2005, The RHB Center has collaborated with Legal Outreach, a nonprofit
organization that prepares youths from underserved communities in
New York City to compete at high academic levels. For this
five-week program, the Center selects and trains two St. John’s law
students to teach legal concepts to rising ninth graders. The
curriculum also includes visits from Law School alumni, who talk to
the students about their careers and the practice of law. At the
end of the five weeks, the students participate as witnesses and
advocates in a mock trial before an actual panel of judges.
Research Professor
Program
This year marks the fifth anniversary of The RHB Center’s Research
Professor Program, which is designed to increase diversity in legal
academia.The Research Professor and Senior Fellow position is an
untenured, two-year position with the Law School. The Research
Professor teaches one course each semester, attends faculty
meetings and colloquium, and receives formal and informal mentoring
while in residence at the School of Law. S/he is also encouraged to
attend conferences and workshops in his/her area of academic
inquiry and to make a presentation to the faculty.
Past research professorships were held by Associate Professor of
Law and Center Associate Director Janai S.
Nelson and by Melinda
Molina, who is now an Assistant Professor at Capital University
Law School.
Research Professor and Senior Fellow Opening
We are currently seeking outstanding candidates to apply for the
position of Research Professor and Senior Fellow of The Ronald H.
Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development.
Applications are being accepted now and applicants are strongly
encouraged to apply by November 1, 2011.
Administrative Fellow
Program
The RHB Center created its Administrative Fellow pipeline program
to increase diversity in higher education administration. Cynara
Hermes has been the Center’s Administrative Fellow since
2009. Before coming to St. John’s on a community service
leave, she worked as a litigation associate at Proskauer Rose LLP,
where she headed the firm’s Latino/a affinity group and served as a
member of its associates’ council. As Administrative Fellow, Ms.
Hermes counsels and teaches Prep Program students, drafts funding
proposals and conducts research on minority student enrollment in
New York State’s 15 law schools.
For more information on the pipeline initiatives of The
RHB Center, please
contact us.