Troy Kennedy

Troy Kennedy
Guyana, South America
3L

From the courtroom to the community, Troy Kennedy plans to make an impact on the world around him

Troy Kennedy knows about academic excellence. And he knows how to succeed. As an undergraduate, he completed a rigorous computer engineering curriculum with honors. Upon deciding to attend St. John’s School of Law, he earned the Ronald H. Brown Scholarship—an award named after one of the School’s most prominent graduates. Now in his third year, Troy has been on the Dean’s list every semester.

“I can’t say enough about the learning environment at St. John’s. There’s a healthy sense of competition, and there’s a healthy sense of learning. But there’s also a lot of camaraderie. The students here aren’t at all cut-throat. They’re interested in helping each other succeed.”

Troy also has been very active outside the classroom. He was the historian for the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), and served as Editor-in-Chief of the New York International Law Review.

“Being the editor-in-chief of the New York International Law Review was an extremely enlightening experience. It enabled me to learn how to lead my peers, which can be a difficult thing to do. It allowed me to see how people work, how people function, what motivates different types of people. I was very honored to be selected for that position.”

On top of everything else, Troy also believes in the importance of giving back. He participated in St. John’s Elder Law Clinic, working on a case in which an elderly gentleman had been the victim of consumer fraud.

“It was a tremendous opportunity. It made me realize that my legal education really can make a difference in the world. Seeing everything I’d learned come into fruition was really an eye-opening experience.”

As he prepares to graduate, Troy already has a very solid grasp on his future. He’s accepted a position at Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper and Scinto, a Manhattan-based firm with several locations in California and D.C. where he will practice intellectual property law. But that’s not all that’s in his future.

“I also see myself being involved in the community, philanthropy. One of the biggest reasons I wanted to go to law school was so one day I would be in a position where I could influence the community, influence government, and be able to effect change. As a lawyer, you have a lot of the tools necessary to do that.”

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