Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights

What We Do

The mission of the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights is to support St. John's Law students who have overcome economic, social, or educational disadvantage and to nurture an interest in equality, civil rights, and social justice that will animate our students' contributions to the legal profession.

About the Ron Brown Center

Established in 1999, the Ron Brown Center is named after the late, esteemed St. John’s Law alumnus Ronald H. Brown ’70, ‘89HON, the first African American to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. 

Through a range of programs and initiatives, we nurture student exposure to, and interest in, issues of equality, civil rights, and social justice. Our aim is to foster the collaboration among our students, the St. John's Law faculty and administration, and our alumni that creates a strong, vibrant, and welcoming Law School community. As a community, we work to open doors to opportunity for students from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, while advancing the Center’s work on justice and equality.

To complement the Ron Brown Center's offerings, our student-run Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development publishes high-quality legal scholarship, including innovative symposium issues and student notes on diverse issues of social, racial, and economic justice.

Support the Center

To support the Ron Brown Center and its initiatives, please visit the Law School's online giving page.