Thomas Blennau

Director, Lexy and Samuel S. Lionel ’40, ‘10HON Externship Program and Employer OutreachAdjunct Professor
J.D. St. John's University School of Law (cum laude)

After receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration from Adelphi University in 1993, Tom received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from St. John’s Law in 2002, graduating in the top 15% of his class.

Tom attended St. John’s in the evening division, while working as a claims supervisor for one of the leading claims administrators in the country. He began his legal career as a summer associate with the law firm of Shaw Pittman n/k/a Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, and returned as an associate in the technology and outsourcing group. He then went on to serve as Vice President/Counsel in the Intellectual Property/Information Technology legal group of Deutsche Bank AG. Thereafter, Tom worked as counsel for a technology practice on Long Island while managing his own law practice, focusing on special education matters.

In 2015, Tom returned to alma mater taking a role on the Employer Outreach team in the Career Development Office. In this role, he spends the majority of his time on the road, visiting employers and alumni with a focus on strengthening and developing relationships, assisting with recruiting needs, and generating new employment and externship opportunities for St. John’s Law students and alumni. 

A proud alumnus and product of the Law School's Externship Program, Tom is honored to serve as the inaugural director of the new Lexy and Samuel S. Lionel ’40, ‘10HON Externship Program. In this role, Tom helps identify and onboard many new externship experiences spanning across a broad spectrum of opportunities throughout the private, public, corporate and governmental sectors; experiences which provide students with opportunities to gain valuable professional and practical lawyering skills to help launch them into their legal careers. Tom is also responsible for the ongoing development and administration of all aspects the Externship Program. 

In addition, Tom serves as an adjunct professor at the Law School teaching courses for the Externship seminar of the Externship Program and a 1L lawyering skills course.