Mark L. Movsesian
Frederick A. Whitney Professor of Contract Law
“There’s something very exciting about the classroom, about the
opportunity to give of yourself and influence the way other people
see the world.”
Professor Mark L. Movsesian, Frederick A. Whitney Professor of
Contract Law, decided to follow in the footsteps of his professors
at Harvard Law School and pursue a career in teaching after
finishing his clerkship with Supreme Court Justice David H.
Souter.
“At the end of my clerkship, I had to decide between teaching and
practicing law in DC. Around that time, I was reading Robert Bolt’s
play, A Man for All Seasons. In the play, Sir Thomas More
advises an ambitious young lawyer that he should forgo politics and
take up teaching. Teaching, he says, allows you to have an impact
on those you really care about. It sounds funny, I guess, but I
took the advice as applying to me, and I chose academics. As it
turns out, I now teach at a university with a church on campus
dedicated to Thomas More. I must’ve made the right choice!”
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Professor Movsesian grew up
very close to St. John’s Queens campus. Although he remembers the
University from his high school days, he believes teaching at St.
John’s School of Law is more than just a return to his roots; it is
an opportunity to be a part of one of the nation’s most important
legal communities.
“For generations, St. John’s has done an excellent job producing
leaders in the legal community, both in New York and around the
country. I’m proud to be part of an institution with that
legacy of achievement. I also value being part of a global
university with campuses around the world. My work
increasingly involves international and comparative research and
St. John’s global connections are very helpful.”
Professor Movsesian teaches a course about law and religion and is
currently doing research on the role of law in Christianity and
Islam. His scholarship has appeared in several prestigious
journals, including the Harvard Law Review, the
American Journal of International Law, the Harvard
International Law Journal, and the Virginia Journal of
International Law.
Voted professor of the year in 2007 by St. John’s Student Bar
Association, Professor Movsesian says his main goal when he teaches
is to train students to “think like lawyers.” He explains the
conceptual framework needed for success as a lawyer. “I try to
teach my students how to analyze people’s legal problems and find
solutions. I tell them that to become a successful lawyer, it’s not
enough to memorize doctrine. You have to appreciate the
reasons the rules exist and the human needs they’re meant to
serve.”
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