The St. John’s University School of Law, St. Vincent De Paul
Legal Program, Inc., Securities Arbitration Clinic (“SAC”), is a
not-for-profit organization operating at St. John’s University
School of Law, which provides assistance to investors who are
unable to obtain legal representation. Law students, under
the supervision of faculty members, represent customers in handling
their disputes with broker-dealers and their registered
representatives. St. Vincent De Paul Legal Program, Inc.,
Securities Arbitration Clinic and St. John’s University School of
Law are educational institutions and have no affiliation with the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Eligibility Standards
SAC will consider representing those investors who meet the
following eligibility standards:
- Your claim cannot exceed $100,000.
- You cannot have any major assets except your home and your
car.
- You must have consulted three attorneys, who have declined to
represent you or a legal referral service certifies you are
unlikely to obtain representation on a contingency basis.
- Preference will be given to senior citizens and New York State
residents.
- Your annual income and net worth must be within a certain
range. SAC will exercise discretion and flexibility based
upon individual circumstances regarding annual income, claim amount
and net worth.
If you believe that you meet these eligibility standards and you
wish to consider student representation on your claim, please call
the Clinic at (718) 990-6930.
If it appears that your case may be suitable for student
representation, a law student will call you to arrange an interview
at the Law School to learn more about your case. After that
meeting, if both you and the SAC agree that the SAC may
appropriately represent you, you and SAC will enter into an
agreement authorizing SAC to represent you. If your matter does not
appear suitable for the SAC, you will be notified promptly.
General information about the securities arbitration process may be
obtained from the FINRA web
site.
Investors are responsible for all costs, other than legal fees,
incurred in the arbitration, such as filing and hearing fees, which
are set forth in FINRA informational packet (available on their web
site).
SAC does not charge legal fees for its services. SAC has
the resources to accept only a very few cases. A decision not to
take your case is not a decision about the merits of your
particular matter.