February 12, 2010
On
Monday, January 25, Leonard M. Baynes, one of St. John’s highly
respected Professors of Law, received the New York State Bar
Association’s 2010 Diversity Trailblazer award, sponsored by the
Committee on Minorities in the Profession.
As Director of the
Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic
Development at St. John’s School of Law, Professor Baynes was
recognized for his exemplary work to diversify the legal
profession. With creative thinking and innovation, he has
produced one of the most successful legal pipeline programs in the
country and it serves as a model for all pipeline programs.
He is also recognized for his lifelong dedication to serving,
leading and preparing students, aspiring faculty and attorneys of
color.
The
Law School’s pipeline program is designed for students of varying
age groups that come from underrepresented households and
introduces them to the legal profession. The Summer Legal
Prep program targets college age students who seek entrance into
law schools. The second year of the two-year program focuses
on preparing the students to take the LSATs. Over 90% of the
students in this program have gained entrance into some of the most
competitive law schools in the country.
Through the Center, Professor Baynes fuels the interest of high
school students in a Summer Legal Outreach program during their
summer break. With the help of St. John’s Law alumni and
students, these students are introduced to the legal profession in
the classroom and in the courtroom. The Center also offers a
program for middle school students in which they participate in a
Mock Trial mirroring law school mock trial programs to engage their
interest in the legal profession.
Dean Michael A. Simons and the entire St. John’s Law School
community congratulate and salute Professor Baynes for receiving
the Trailblazer award.
The Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development, the
official journal of the
Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic and
Development, is proud to present its 17th Annual Symposium
entitled:
“The Fall of the Economy and How New York Can Rise to the
Challenge.” This Symposium will foster a discussion about the
business social responsibility, government bailouts of big
business, mortgage foreclosure crisis and the overall economic
inequities in the United States, and New York City, that existed
before the recent economic crisis but have been exacerbated by
biggest economic collapse since the Great Depression. The goal of
this Symposium is to learn the lessons from what caused this market
collapse to repair the breach in our economic system. The symposium
will be held on Friday, March 5, 2010 at the Law School.