The St. Vincent de Paul Legal Program Inc., Securities Arbitration Clinic, is a not-for-profit organization operating at St. John’s University School of Law, which offers direct representation to the under-served small investor community. The Securities Arbitration Clinic assists investors with securities disputes with broker-dealers in arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
The two primary purposes of a direct representation clinical program is to: (1) provide legal representation to a particular community which is underserved by the legal community at-large, and (2) simultaneously teach students to make the transition from law students to law practitioners. Clinical experiences are intended to accomplish the transition in a thoughtful, purposeful manner. The key is that the student is the lawyer-in-training -- not the assistant, not the paralegal, but the actual lawyer-in-training. Students interested in corporate and securities law are given the opportunity to counsel clients, draft legal documents and develop their advocacy skills while deepening their substantive knowledge of securities laws and becoming acquainted with the functioning of the securities industry. Clinical students may also work collaboratively with experts in the securities industry, who serve as financial consultants to the Securities Arbitration Clinic.
The Securities Arbitration Clinic was established, in part, from a generous grant from the Office of the New York State Attorney General and donations from St. John’s University School of Law alumni.