March 1, 2023
This story originally appeared in the 2023 issue of St. John's Law magazine.
Instead of heading to sand, surf, and slopes for some downtime, many St. John’s Law students spent spring break sampling law firm practice, immersing in London’s legal and literary worlds, and serving the public interest. Here are their stories.
Sampling Law Firm Practice
By late February, no one in the law school universe needs time off more than 1Ls. But instead of diving into down time, dozens of first-year St. John’s Law students chose to sample law firm practice as participants in a new experiential program developed by the Career Development Office (CDO).
“We’ve had so much success introducing students to public interest work through our Spring Break Service Program,” says Jeanne Ardan ‘95, the Law School’s Associate Dean for Career Development and Externships. So, I thought it would be great to do something similar for students interested in private practice early in their academic journey. While the CDO team and I were excited about launching the Spring (Break) into Law Practice Experience, we weren’t sure how students would respond to this opportunity to learn in the field.”
The response was robust. In total, there were 51 placements (with several students having two placements) at seven New York law firms: Arnold & Porter; Cadwalader; DLA Piper; Duane Morris; Fragomen; Paul Hastings; and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Each firm designed a full-day or half-day program that, focusing on one or more practice areas, exposed students to day-to-day private practice; provided opportunities for them to network with Law School alumni and other practitioners; and guided them on professional development.
“I’m interested in different areas of the law, like corporate and immigration, so this program was an excellent opportunity to see what that actually looks like in practice and to get to know some of the firms that do work in those areas,” Federico G. Curbelo ’25 shares about his spring break experience at Fragomen, where he learned about the firm’s global business immigration practice as well as its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and pro bono work. He also met with St. John’s Law alumni. “It was great seeing how eager the alumni were to share their experiences with us, and how much pride they took in knowing that we were all St. John’s students,” Curbelo adds.
That pride was shared by Fragomen partner F. Joseph Paldino ’98. “It was an honor to be asked to give back to the Law School by hosting the program,” he says. “The students were dynamic, engaged, and asked well-thought-out questions. The program is invaluable as it exposes the students to an area of the law they may wish to pursue further in the future. The students were truly energized after learning more about our firm and practice area.”
Reflecting on the program, Sarah Leveque ’25 is also enthusiastic about the experience. Before spending a half day at Arnold & Porter, she had never been to a New York City law firm. “It was interesting to learn about the kinds of matters people handle at different points in their career,” she says about the attorneys who spoke with the students. “The presentation was interactive, as they encouraged us to ask questions along the way. We learned about the training the firm gives to associates to develop critical skills for trial work. It was also interesting to hear about some unexpected paths attorneys took in their careers before they started at Arnold & Porter.”
Like her 1L classmates, Francesca Pomara ’25 enjoyed her Spring (Break) Into Law Practice Experience. “At Duane Morris, I was able to learn about a range of practice areas—from immigration law and litigation to intellectual property and trusts and estates,” she says. “The attorneys were incredibly welcoming and informative, sharing details about their different trajectories to law school, about their experiences at St. John’s, and about their day-to-day practice. I’m grateful to them for opening my mind to a career path that can lead to many stimulating opportunities for people from different backgrounds and with varied life experiences. My understanding of private practice is now more nuanced and expansive, which has made the career path more accessible and exciting to me.”
With the success of this year’s program, Dean Ardan looks forward to building on it in years to come. “St. John’s offers students many opportunities to learn about the practice of law hands on,” she says. “The Spring (Break) into Law Practice Experience is a wonderful addition to that suite of offerings, and we’re very grateful to the law firms and St. John’s Law alumni who hosted and supported this year’s inaugural program.”
Immersing in Legal and Literary Worlds
Entering the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of London and Wales, Anna Poulakas ’23 was transported back in time. Adorned in wigs and robes, the judges, lawyers, and clerks in the courtrooms could have been pulled from the pages of Dickens’ Bleak House, Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes collection, or Rawling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. For Poulakas and 12 other St. John’s Law students, London was where law and literature converged over spring break.
The students traveled abroad as participants in the Dean’s Travel Study Program, which offers selected upper-level students an unrivaled opportunity to experience diverse legal systems around the world. This year’s course, Comparative Legal Systems: Law & Literature London, was designed by Mary C. Daly Professor of Legal Writing Rachel H. Smith, who led the program along with St. John’s Law Associate Dean for Library Services and Professor of Legal Research Courtney Selby and St. John’s Vice Dean for Student Success and Retention Strategy Sarah Jean Kelly.
“We wanted to help students develop a basic understanding of the theory, tools, and interpretative methods of law and literature, using London as a backdrop for thinking about lawyers and the law in the United Kingdom and the United States,” Dean Smith says. “Students read Bleak House, one of Dickens’ great legal novels, as well as stories about Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter, to think deeply about justice, corruption, individual responsibility, and institutional failure. Then, while sampling some of the cultural and legal highlights of London, students saw how literature is uniquely able to cultivate empathy for others, particularly those accused of and the victims of crime.”
In addition to the Old Bailey, among other points of interest, the group toured the Royal Courts of Justice, the British Library—home to the Magna Carta and Anne Boleyn’s copy of the Tyndale Bible—the Tower of London, and the British Museum. At the Charles Dickens Museum and the Sherlock Holmes Museum, they learned about the lived experiences that shaped acclaimed fictional depictions of London’s legal system. Literature also came to life delightfully on a studio tour about the making of Harry Potter.
“I participated in the Law and Literature London course because literature has had a profound impact on my desire to become an attorney,” says Sean King ’23. “Walking the streets of London, sitting in on courtroom proceedings, and observing solicitors at work, we immersed ourselves in the world that famed authors attempted to recreate. It was also interesting to observe the differences in how court proceedings are handled in England versus the United States, despite both of our laws originating from the Common Law.”
Like King, Anna Poulakas appreciated the chance to look at London and the law through a literary lens. “I enjoyed each aspect of our trip in a unique way,” she shares. “For me, there is nothing like learning about something and then seeing it before my very eyes. It gives me a deeper understanding and appreciation for what I spend time studying and pondering. One of my favorite things is to compare reality with the way I imagined it. Oftentimes, the two are so different, and I love to see the way it actually is. The travel study program offered me many interesting points of comparison.”
Reflecting on the teaching and learning in London, Dean Smith agrees that it was a special experience. “The course was a success because the participants were tremendous,” she says. “They were enthusiastic and curious about everything we saw. It was so fun to be there with students who will soon be graduating and who began their legal studies in socially distanced classrooms or online. This is a very special group, and I feel lucky to have spent time with them doing something that, when they started at St. John’s Law, I was afraid would never be possible. I will never forget it.”
Serving the Public Interest
With no sand, surf, or slopes in sight, Kansas City isn’t a popular destination for students looking to unwind over spring break. But that didn’t matter to Sabrina McDonald ’23 and Julie
Varughese ‘23. They were there to get to work, along with six other St. John’s Law students who volunteered with the Federal Defenders Capital Habeas Team and at Legal Aid of Western Missouri as participants in the Spring Break Service Program coordinated by the Law School’s Public Interest Center.
“I volunteered for the program because I’m passionate about working with indigent individuals and advocating for those who can’t otherwise advocate for themselves,” McDonald says. During her week at Federal Defenders, she reviewed trial transcripts, conducted research, and accompanied attorneys to Nebraska, where they visited a client. “This experience is something I’ll carry with me as I start at Brooklyn Defender Services in the fall,” McDonald shares. “My time in Kansas City reminded me of why I came to law school, and why I’m going to be a public defender. More importantly, this experience taught me to never stop fighting. Never stop advocating. Being a public defender won’t be an easy job, but it will be the most rewarding thing I do.”
Volunteering in Legal Aid’s Human Rights Division, Varughese drew on values instilled in her at a young age because of her immigrant parents' involvement with their local communities. “I witnessed how daunting the justice system can be for those unfamiliar with local and state laws, especially when they have no one to turn to for help” she says. “Those experiences motivated me to become a lawyer.” As part of her work in Kansas City, Varugheseinterviewed farmworkers who suffered from labor exploitation and sexual assault, did door-to-door outreach to inform migrant workers of their rights, and reviewed a client affidavit, among other assignments.
As she immersed in her Service Program experience, Varughese witnessed the impact that Legal Aid lawyers have on their clients. “I saw how they enable those with even the heaviest of burdens to feel hopeful that there can be change,” she explains. “When I become an attorney, I want to bring that same level of care, support, and positivity to my workplace and clients. No person's identity, background, socioeconomic status, or circumstances should diminish their ability to receive justice, nor should it leave them at a disadvantage when navigating the legal justice system. I couldn’t be more proud and determined to enter public interest law and help the people who truly deserve it.”
While McDonald, Varughese, and other St. John’s Law students were serving the greater good in Kansas City, 24 more Spring Break Service Program participants volunteered in a range of in-person, hybrid, and remote work settings, including: Advocates for Children; Brooklyn Defender Services; Legal Aid Society Queens Foreclosure Prevention; Nassau County District Attorney’s Office; New York Legal Assistance Group LegalHealth; New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) Environmental Justice; The Safe Center; and The Veterans Consortium.
“I volunteered to learn more about environmental law practice,” says Sandy Durst ’25 of her week with NYLPI. In addition to studying laws applicable to polluters, she researched and helped to draft a letter to Governor Kathleen Hochul outlining why polluters shouldn’t be exempt from New York’s restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. “I saw that discrimination comes in many forms, and one form is the placement of polluting industries in disadvantaged communities,” Durst says. With that new insight, she went into the field to attend a Green Our City Now event. “We got to brush shoulders with environmental leaders from across the city, and asked them to sign on and support our letter,” says Durst. “It was inspiring to see the day-to-day operation of environmental justice firsthand.”
Like Durst, Caroline Johnson ’25 also had a formative Spring Break Service Program experience as she volunteered with the Safe Center LI. “I was placed with a senior staff attorney whose primary focus area is family law, domestic violence, and sexual assault,” she says. “I conducted legal research; drafted memos, affidavits, petitions, and letters; sat in on meetings with clients; and even did a bit of investigating on social media for evidence to support a case.” As she built practical skills, Johnson also gained valuable perspective.
“More than anything, this experience opened my eyes to the absolute necessity of nonprofits and public interest work,” she shares. “Many of the clients coming to the Safe Center are dealing with horrific situations. On top of their anxiety comes a fear of the legal system. After spending the week hearing their stories, I have come to understand that those fears are in no way unwarranted. I also understand that a legal education is an absolute privilege, and the opportunity to use it to help others should be a calling that every law student should feel and follow. I know with absolute certainty that I will be using my education to serve the public interest.”