Andrew M. Kepple
Roslindale, Massachusetts
2L
Summer 2004—Intern for Justice Patricia P. Satterfield, Supreme
Court of Queens County (Civil Division)
Summer 2005—Intern at the New York City Department of Correction
Legal Division
With hopes of working in civil litigation after he graduates,
Andrew Kepple has tried to make the most of the externship
opportunities afforded to him at the School of Law. They are
experiences, he feels, that will prepare him in ways a classroom
lecture never could.
“There are certain things you can’t learn in school. Books,
teachers, and class participation cannot teach you how to argue in
front of judges, counsel clients, or interact with opposing
counsel. Those are things you have to learn outside of school. By
participating in an externship, you get the chance to learn those
things in a supervised setting, before you become a practicing
attorney.”
In 2004, Andrew was an intern for Justice Patricia P.
Satterfield at the Supreme Court of Queens County. The experience
enabled him to closely observe attorneys on both sides of a
particular issue and gain insight on how the different attorneys
advocate for their clients in different settings.
“I also assisted the Justice in writing an opinion on a tort
case. It was my responsibility to research an issue of law that had
previously not been settled in that court. After researching the
issue and writing a memo, the Justice was so pleased with my
findings that she incorporated the memo into her decision and
credited my work in a footnote.”
These are the kinds of experiences that one doesn’t normally
anticipate when looking at law schools, Andrew says. But it is a
solid reflection of the wide range of possibilities that students
encounter at the School of Law.
“One of the best things about St. John’s is the wide range of
opportunities like this that exist here. For instance, clinics. We
have the domestic violence clinic, elder law clinic, securities
arbitration clinic, child advocacy clinic, and others. This
reflects a strong commitment on the part of St. John’s to the
practical applications of law in a wide range of legal
disciplines.”
To learn more about the opportunities at St. John's from our
Students, Alumni and Faculty, visit our Web
page.