Mattone Center for Law and Religion Welcomes 2025–2026 Student Fellows

Each year, the Denise ’90 and Michael ’91 Mattone Center for Law and Religion selects student fellows who contribute to the Center’s mission of providing an unrivaled forum for exploring law and religion from domestic, international, and comparative perspectives. 

“Our student fellows don’t just work behind the scenes, they also serve as ambassadors for the Center,” says Center Director Mark Movsesian. “At alumni gatherings, public programs, and international events, they represent St. John’s with distinction. Their contributions strengthen the Center’s mission and connect our community locally and globally.”

This year’s fellows are Vincent D’Avanzo ’27, Anastasia Kaliabakos ‘27, Isabel Lane ’27, and returning fellow Kalina Mesrobian ’26. They look forward to playing an active role in the Center’s offerings. Among other responsibilities, they will contribute to the Center’s blog, the Law and Religion Forum, where their weekly “Around the Web” posts will cover timely church-and-state issues. They will also edit episodes of the Legal Spirits podcast and manage the Center’s social media presence. 

On the global stage, the fellows will represent St. John’s at the annual International Moot Court Competition in Law and Religion, which will take place this year at the University’s Rome campus. The competition involves months of preparation writing briefs and practicing oral argument, giving the fellows a unique opportunity to hone their advocacy skills. 

Through their engagement with scholarship, policy and practice, and international programs, the fellows advance the Center’s role as a leader in the law and religion field. You can learn more about them at the Law and Religion Forum.

About the Mattone Center for Law and Religion
Established in 2010, the Mattone Center for Law and Religion at St. John’s Law provides a forum for studying law and religion from domestic, international, and comparative perspectives with the aim of:

• Examining the role of law in the relationship between religion and the state
• Exploring the concept of law in different religious traditions
• Promoting St. John’s Vincentian mission by encouraging an open dialogue on law and religion in the local, national, and international communities

In addition to hosting academic programs locally and around the world, the Center coordinates the Law School’s law and religion curriculum. It also produces the Law and Religion Forum blog, the Legal Spirits podcast, and the Landmark Cases in Religious Freedom animated video series.