St. John’s University School of Law’s
Street Law Program
St. John’s University School of Law plays a critical role in
shaping the community’s respect for and understanding of the law
through its Street Law Program. The mission of the program is
to teach inner-city high school students about their legal rights
and responsibilities, to encourage their participation in the
democratic process, and to strengthen their oral and written
communication skills through advocacy training. This mission
is consistent with St. John’s Vincentian tradition of serving those
in the community who have fewer economic or social
advantages.
In the program, St. John’s law students teach a practical law
course to high school students at Jamaica High School in Queens,
New York. Law students enrolled in the program attend a
weekly seminar
course, where they learn the substantive law to be taught as
well as innovative and effective teaching methodologies. The
law students receive credit for the seminar and their placement
in the high school.
The program provides St. John’s law students with a unique and
powerful professional development opportunity. By teaching
the law and by interacting with the community, law students learn
the practical applications of legal concepts and practice important
lawyering skills. In order to create effective lesson plans
and respond appropriately to the questions of their students, they
must distill complicated legal concepts to their essence—a skill
that will benefit their future attorney-client relationships.
Also, because law students use interactive teaching strategies,
such as mock trials, role-plays, and moot courts to teach the law
to the high school students, legal procedures and concepts come
alive in the classroom.
Contact Information
Patricia
Grande Montana
Associate Professor of Legal Writing
St. John's University School of Law
Room 4-19
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
(718) 990-1389
grandep@stjohns.edu