Our goal is, over time, to develop a vibrant network of young alumnae, mid-career alumnae, and senior professionals who connect with each other and with current students, sharing their multi-varied and prodigious talents and skills.
The Alumnae Leadership Council is a formal chapter of the Law School's Alumni Association and is open to all alumnae. Our goals include offering Mentoring Circles, assisting the Law School staff in their efforts to recruit and develop women in the law, and helping to raise funds for women-focused programs and scholarships at SJU Law.
Two years ago, a small group of St. John’s Law alumnae spearheaded by Rose DiMartino, ’81, retired Willkie Farr partner, joined together to mentor, support, and connect with other St. John’s Law alumnae and current members of the Women’s Law Society as part of the Alumnae Leadership Council.
The Mentoring Committee of the ALC has completed two semesters of six one-hour virtual monthly sessions of mentoring circles for over 120 alumnae, complete with facilitator training and detailed curriculum. The Student Support Committee provided a program of mock interviews for members of the Women’s Law Society. The Programming Committee produced a webinar open to alumnae of all levels of experience on Financial Literacy and is partnering with the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law for a Virtual Panel discussion: “Getting a Foot in … Real Estate: First 10 Alumnae in Real Estate” at 9:30 on February 3, 2023. The Social/Networking Committee organized two very successful social/networking event for all interested alumnae. All the Committees will be collaborating with the Women’s Law Society for “Celebrating Women in the Law,” honoring distinguished alumnae, hosted by Sheppard Mullin on March 15, 2023.
In 2023, the ALC is looking to grow, expand and strengthen. We would like to be a resource for all St. John’s Law Alumnae. Members have organized an ALC Steering Committee, with co-Chairs and volunteers for each of the Committees. Plans are underway for expanded Mentoring, Student Support, Social/Networking and innovative Programming Committees. Please join fellow alumnae in the many activities of the Alumnae Leadership Council!
To learn more about the Mentoring Circles Program, or to join one of the Committees of the Alumnae Leadership Council, please contact:
Director of Major Gifts
St. John's Law School
718-990-7991
[email protected]
More Information
SOCIAL NETWORKING CO-CHAIR
JASMINE L. BROWN '19
Associate
Law Office of Vincent Toomey
3000 Marcus Avenue, Ste. 1W10
New Hyde Park, NY 11042
STUDENT SUPPORT CO-CHAIR
BARBARA J. BURGER '85
General Counsel CCO
Zimmer Partners, LP
9 West 57th Street, 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
MENTORING CO-CHAIR
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
EUGENIE M. CESAR-FABIAN '04
General Counsel
Ethic, Inc.
99 Hudson Street, Floor 17
New York, NY 10013
PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
DANIELLE D'AQUILA '12
Partner
RPN Executive Search, LLC
420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2516
New York, NY 10170
CHAIR, ALUMNAE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
ROSE F. DIMARTINO '81
Partner - retired
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
MENTORING CO-CHAIR
JENNIFER GILROY RUIZ '92
Chief
NYC Law Department Office of the Corporation Counsel
Family Court Division
100 Church Street, Room 4-179
New York, NY 10007
PROGRAMMING CO-CHAIR
ROSELIND F. HALLINAN '14
Counsel
Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch, LLC
500 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10110
STUDENT SUPPORT CO-CHAIR
FIONA R. HOGAN '21
Associate
Anderson Kill
1251 Avenue of The Americas
New York, NY 10020
STUDENT SUPPORT CO-CHAIR
TINA KASSANGANA '19
Associate
BurgherGray LLP
1350 Broadway, Suite 1510
New York, NY 10018
SOCIAL/NETWORKING CO-CHAIR
KATHLEEN MCGOVERN '88CBA, '91L Partner
Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
2550 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
PROGRAMMING CO-CHAIR
QUEENIE A. PANIAGUA '12 Associate
Sack and Sack
70 East 55th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10022
MENTORING CO-CHAIR
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
JENNIFER A. PREVETE '15
Senior Counsel, Litigation
Altice USA
1 Court Square
Long Island City, NY 11120
STEERING COMMITTEE - ALUMNI ASSOC. LIAISON
MEGAN QUAIL '13
Managing Director & Co-Head of R&W
Vale Insurance Partners
1120 Avenue of the Americas, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10036
SOCIAL/NETWORKING CO-CHAIR
GABRIELLE D. SCHWARTZ '13
Associate
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
787 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
MARGARET V. TURANO '77
Professor Emerita
St. John's Law School
Room 4-66
Queens, NY 11439
STEERING COMMITTEE - SOCIAL/NETWORKING COMMITTEE
STEPHENIE YEH CHAN '12
Senior Associate
Lassar & Cowhey LLP
730 3rd Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
Each year, the ALC and Women's Law Society (WLS) partner for a special event to recognize the Law School's long history of supporting women in the legal profession. That history lives on in today's WLS student group as it frequently partners with the ALC on programs and initiatives that support students and graduates on their career paths.
We're pleased to honor four alumnae who serve as wonderful role models at the 2025 Celebrating Women in the Law event:
Trailblazer Award Recipient
Maryann Canfield '92
Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel
Soros Family Office
Maryann serves as chief operating officer and legal counsel at Soros Family Office. After graduating from law school, Maryann began her legal career as an associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. In 2000, she joined Soros Fund Management (SFM), where she was later promoted to general counsel. Maryann served in this role for 14 years until embarking on her current role at Soros Family Office. She is an active member of the St. John's Law Alumni Association Alumnae Leadership Council Chapter (ALC) and mentors alumnae through the ALC's Mentoring Circles Program.
Public Service Award Recipient
Denise M. Miranda '96
Acting Commissioner
New York State Division of Human Rights
After graduating from St. John's Law, Commissioner Miranda worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx DA’s Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes Bureau and then as an attorney with the Network for Women’s Services. Following some time in private practice, she became Managing Director of the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project and, in 2017, was named Executive Director of the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Nominated to her current role in March of 2024, Commissioner Miranda welcomes the opportunity to lead the state agency that is dedicated to enforcing New York’s Human Rights Law and freeing the state of discrimination. She is a member of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, the Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus, the Latina Mentoring Initiative, and other service-oriented organizations.
Outstanding Alumna Award Recipient
Sabeena Ahmed Liconte '06
Head of Legal and Chief Compliance Officer
ICBC Standard Securities, Inc.
In her role at ICBC Standard Securities, Sabeena oversees its SEC-registered broker-dealer, ICBC Standard Securities Inc., and its CFTC-registered introducing broker, ICBC Standard Resources (America) Inc. Before joining ICBC Standard Securities, she worked in the US investment banking division of Bank of China International as Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer, and at E*TRADE Financial Corp. as Futures & Derivatives Counsel. She also gained professional experience at Merrill Lynch, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Bank of New York Mellon, and in the New Jersey Attorney General's office. She actively serves on various law and finance boards and advisory committees, and at St. John's Law, she mentors alumnae through the ALC's Mentoring Circles Program.
Rising Star Award Recipient
Samantha Ojo '19
Associate
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Samantha's practice focuses on traditional labor matters and the National Labor Relations Act. She is part of a team at Morgan Lewis that represents clients in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, and in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, including unfair labor practices proceedings and union elections. Samantha counsels clients across a variety of industries, including sports and entertainment. At St. John's Law, she served as President of the Labor Relations and Employment Law Society, Director of Alumni Relations for the Black Law Students Association, and as a member of the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development. Samantha actively participates in pro bono work, and frequently mentors undergraduate and law students.
Each year, the ALC and Women's Law Society (WLS) partner for a special event to recognize the Law School's long history of supporting women in the legal profession. That history lives on in today's WLS student group as it frequently partners with the ALC on programs and initiatives that support students and graduates on their career paths.
We're pleased to honor four alumnae who serve as wonderful role models at the 2024 Celebrating Women in the Law event:
Trailblazer Award Recipient
Hon. Genine D. Edwards ‘92, Justice, New York State Supreme Court, Kings County
Justice Edwards was elected in 2015 and currently serves as the Presiding Justice of the Medical Malpractice Alternative Dispute Resolution Part in Kings County. Over the years, Justice Edwards has worked closely with college students participating in the Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program, an award-winning pipeline initiative of the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights at St. John’s Law. She regularly hosts interns from high school to law school. Justice Edwards serves on the St. John’s Law Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Alumni of Color Chapter Board of Directors. She is also a mentor in the Alumnae Leadership Council Chapter.
Public Service Award Recipient
Hannah Yu ‘09, Chief, Hate Crimes Unit, New York County District Attorney's Office
Hannah supervises the prosecution of hate crime cases at the New York County District Attorney's Office, and she oversees investigations into bias-motivated incidents. Prior to joining the Hate Crimes Unit, she served as a criminal court supervisor and attorney-in-charge of the Summer Law Fellowship Program, and prosecuted a variety of violent crimes, including homicides and sex crimes. At St. John’s Law, she was a member of the Frank S. Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute (PTAI), an editor for the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Law Review, and a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA). She’s a former board member of the Korean Prosecutors Association (KPA), a member of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) and the Korean American Lawyers Association for Greater New York (KALAGNY).
Outstanding Alumna Award Recipient
Edda Santiago ‘14, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Covenant House International
Prior to joining Covenant House, a multinational nonprofit organization that provides support to young people experiencing homelessness and survivors of sexual abuse and human trafficking, Edda worked at The Legal Aid Society defending low-income tenants facing eviction after starting her legal career at a large, international law firm. A first-generation law student, Edda was awarded the Ronald H. Brown Scholarship and the National Women Lawyers Association Award, among others. She also served as president of the Latin American Law Students Association. She sits on many boards, including the Hispanic National Bar Association VIA Fund, the Mayor’s Committee on City Marshals, and formerly served on the St. John’s Law Alumni Association Board of Directors. She’s an active member of the St. John’s Law Alumni Association Alumnae Leadership Council Chapter.
Rising Star Award Recipient
May Mansour ‘14, Counsel, Private Funds and ESG and Sustainability Practices, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
At Simpson Thacher, May advises sponsors on the formation, structuring, and operation of private investments funds across a range of strategies, including real estate, infrastructure, and secondaries, among others. She represents clients in relation to impact funds and other ESG issues and advises pro bono clients on various immigration matters and unemployment insurance hearings. She sits on Simpson Thacher’s Diversity Advisory Council. In law school, she was a symposium editor on St. John’s Law Review. In 2015, her article about Title VII’s Participation Clause was published in the St. John's Law Review. She’s remained active with the Law School’s Labor and Employment Center, recently serving as a panelist at a Center event.
2024
Getting a Foot in Real Estate: First 10 Alumnae in Real Estate Law (2.28.24)
Presented by the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law, the St. John’s Law Alumni Association First 10 Chapter and Alumnae Leadership Council Chapter.
2023
ALC/Mattone Center Webinar - "Getting a Foot in Real Estate - First 10 Alumnae in Real Estate" 2.3.23