Through its Street Law Program, St. John’s School of Law plays a
critical role in shaping the community’s respect for, and
understanding of, the law. The mission of the Program is to teach
inner-city high school students about their legal rights and
responsibilities, to encourage their participation in the
democratic process, and to strengthen their oral and written
communication skills through advocacy training. This mission is
consistent with St. John’s Vincentian tradition of serving those
in the community who have fewer economic or social
advantages.
In the Program, St. John’s law students teach a practical law
course to high school students at Jamaica High School in Queens,
New York. Law students enrolled in the program attend a
weekly seminar course, where they learn the substantive law to be
taught as well as innovative and effective teaching methodologies.
The law students receive credit for the seminar and their placement
in the high school.
The Program provides St. John’s law students with a unique and
powerful professional development opportunity. By teaching the law
and by interacting with the community, law students learn the
practical applications of legal concepts and practice important
lawyering skills. In order to create effective lesson plans
and respond appropriately to the questions of their students, they
must distill complicated legal concepts to their essence—a skill
that will benefit their future attorney-client relationships. Also,
because law students use interactive teaching strategies, such as
mock trials, role-plays, and moot courts to teach the law to the
high school students, legal procedures and concepts come alive in
the classroom.
To learn more about the Street Law Program at St. John's School of
Law, please contact
us.