Think Culture

I assure you that there is more to making an informed decision about where to attend law school than simply comparing rankings. It’s a matter of determining the culture of the school and assessing how you fit within that culture.

The culture of STJ law is one both of cooperation and competition. Both are critical to a successful educational experience. The cooperation is easy to see. Students help each other here. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a student point out a helpful point of law moments before class. I have shared my notes with dozens of students and have received just as much.

The competition is also intense. I have been involved as a student in a higher education setting for the last 12 years. I studied neurobiology, cell biology, pharmacology and biophysics at Ivy League institutions. I can say that without a doubt, that my 1L section was the smartest group of people I’ve ever worked with before. When there’s that many smart people around the competition comes naturally. It’s a good competition, not nasty or petty. It’s the kind of competition that pushes you to excel. Knowing how hard everyone else is working is a powerful driving force.

The other aspect of STJ Law culture worth mentioning is diversity. Located in the most diverse county in the United States, the STJ law student body is equally diverse. Diversity in the classroom is one of those unquantifiable benefits. With diversity comes diverse experience and diverse points of view. Valuable in any educational setting, diversity is particularly valuable in legal education. At St. Johns Law, students are exposed to the vastly differing opinions of people from varied backgrounds. The contribution of diversity to our law school is immeasurable.

One more aspect worth mentioning is the fact that SJU law is part of the greater St. John’s University campus. In addition to access to all of the University’s facilities like the gym, tennis courts and sprawling campus, law students also have access to the wide range of expertise available steps away. Working on a DNA case, not sure what DNA stands for… just ask professor Simms in the biology department. Being on the campus of a major university is a incredible bonus that will only add to and enrich your law school experience.