Michelle Lambert
Long Beach, New York
Second-Year Evening Student
Police Officer, New York City Police Department
Michelle Lambert was drawn to the School
of Law’s convenience, campus, and strong alumni network
As an officer with the New York City Police Department and a
student in the School of Law’s evening program, Michelle Lambert
knows how hard it can be to keep her daily obligations in balance.
This is perhaps the biggest question most people who work full-time
have when considering whether to attend law school. But Michelle
believes that it is the very nature of their daily lives that
better equip people like her for the demands of law school.
“Law school is a huge time commitment. But if you’ve been out
there working and carrying a heavy load of daily responsibilities,
then odds are, you have the maturity, the organizational and
time-management skills to make law school work. It’s just a matter
of focusing and staying on top of things.”
One of the things about the School of Law that makes it easier
for evening program students to make it work is the level of
engagement on the part of professors. Michelle says her professors
do everything they can to be there for evening students, both
inside the classroom and out.
“My professors go out of their way to make sure I’m getting the
most out of all aspects of the St. John’s experience. When speakers
come in and other events are held during the day or at times
evening students can’t attend, they offer those lectures or
seminars on tape. They also do a lot to make sure that many of
those activities, speakers, receptions, and events are scheduled at
times when evening students can attend.”
Michelle was drawn to the School of Law largely because of the
evening program and the convenience it affords students. But that
wasn’t the only strength she saw.
“In New York City there aren’t many colleges that have a real
campus setting. St. John’s had that. I went to the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst, so I was used to a nice, spacious campus.
That was one thing that stuck out about St. John’s, the campus and
grounds are beautiful.
“Also, St. John’s has a really strong alumni network. Our police
commissioner went to St. John’s, as did a lot of people I’ve met
who told me how much they liked it. St. John’s is a nationally
known university, the law school is very respected. So I know my
degree will carry a lot of weight.”
After she graduates, Michelle plans to stay on with the New York
City Police Department, in a heightened role within the
department’s legal bureau.
“I’m happily employed with the New York City Police Department,
and there’s a lot of opportunity for career growth right here.
Right now I’m working in the department’s legal bureau, and I know
that once I graduate I’ll have opportunities to move up.”
To learn more about the opportunities at St. John's from our
Students, Alumni and Faculty, visit our
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