The Securities Arbitration Clinic assists under-served investors
with securities disputes with broker-dealers in arbitrations before
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
The students provide representation in, among other things,
churning and unauthorized trading, unsuitability,
misrepresentation, and failure to supervise cases under the Rules
and Procedures of FINRA. Students provide representation from
initial client contact through confirming or vacating arbitration
awards in court. Students will perform client and witness
interviews, conduct full-scale investigations, perform trading and
suitability analyses, perform legal research, draft all pleadings
including statements of claim, answers, replies, and motions.
Clinical Students may also have opportunities to negotiate
settlements and draft settlement agreements, conduct
arbitration hearings, participate in discovery and pre-hearing
conferences. Clinical students may work with experts in the
securities industry who serve as financial consultants to
Securities Arbitration Clinic.
Students will develop essential lawyering skills, substantive
legal knowledge and professional responsibility while representing
clients. Professors Catalano and Lazaro supervise students in all
aspects of client representation.
The Securities Arbitration Clinic is a one-semester, in-house,
live-client, clinical program available to second and third year
students. Clinic students are required to attend a weekly
2-hour seminar covering broker-dealer regulation, arbitration
theory and procedure, and lawyering skills. Students
are required to be physically present in the clinic office for
thirteen (13) hours a week to answer telephone and in-person
inquiries about the clinic's services from small investors.
The office hours may also be used to conduct research, interview
clients and conduct conference calls. In some weeks, the time
commitment may be considerably more than 13 hours because of the
press of deadlines, conferences or hearings.
Students who have completed their first year of law school are
eligible to apply to the clinic. There are no other
prerequisites. Students are encouraged to take Evidence and
Trial Advocacy Courses.
Enrollment is limited. Students will be selected based
upon an interview with Professors Catalano and Lazaro and
submission of an application form, a resume, a cover letter, and an
unofficial transcript. The Clinic is located at the St. John’s
Queens campus located at 8000 Utopia Parkway, Belson Hall Room
2-26, Queens, N.Y. 11439.