Skills Honed at St. John’s Law Help Brooke Camhi ‘05 Win a Race Around the World

Nine years ago, Brooke Camhi ‘05 traveled 36,000 miles across five continents, nine countries, and 17 cities in just three weeks. She wasn’t on vacation or a business trip, rather, she saw the world while competing for first place on the hit reality competition show The Amazing Race.

Throughout her unconventional journey around the world, Camhi encountered unique challenges and obstacles, but as she shares, her St. John’s Law education prepared her with the skills to persevere through—and win—season 29 of The Amazing Race.

“St. John’s Law had a really big impact on my ability to be successful on the show,” Camhi says. "You need to move fast and participate in the challenges, but a big part of the show is building relationships and alliances, working together with others to advance yourself, and negotiating with other teams. I learned many of those skills at St. John’s Law.”

Those skills and experiences gained both in law school and on the show have been transformative in Camhi’s successful career in the legal profession. Today, she works as the director of business development at Everest Court Reporting, an ever-growing, leading provider of court reporting, videography, transcription, and translation services.

“St. John’s Law prepared me very well to go into the field of law,” Camhi says. “I began my career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Nassau County DA’s Office. On the first day of that role, I was expected to know exactly what to do, as is true for many law jobs. While it was intimidating, I was confident that my professors and my St. John’s legal education prepared me with the tools I needed to do well.”

When applying to law schools, Camhi was already familiar with St. John’s and was eager to become a member of the community. “When thinking about where I wanted to go to law school, St. John’s reputation spoke for itself,” she reflects. “The impact the courses and professors had on me encouraged me to look at certain aspects of the law differently. 20 years after graduating, the reputation has only improved, and I’m confident that St. John’s Law will continue to put forth top-quality legal minds.”

Before and during Law School, Camhi was a big fan of The Amazing Race. Going on the show, she learned that there are many circumstances that were out of her control, but her willingness to adapt, pivot, and push forward set her apart.

“An interesting aspect of seeing myself on television is watching back all the things I said and did,” she says, “When I watched my season back, it made me realize that I’m capable of so much more than I originally thought.”

That realization also rings true for her career in the legal profession. “You don’t know where your career may take you, but as I learned from my professors and classmates at St. John’s Law, if you are prepared, can think on your feet, and are confident in your abilities, you can succeed.”