ST.JOHN’ S LAW Magazine l Spring 2014 ST. JOHN’S LAW GOES IN HOUSE Alumni Take the Lead as General Counsel Working Together Our Challenges To Achieve • Law school applications have declined significantly nationwide • The Brennan Family Scholarship Matching Program has • Our endowment is much lower than most of our peer schools brought in over $6.4 million to date • The entry-level legal job market is still struggling • Our bar pass rate has climbed four points to 88% • A legal education is unaffordable for many • Our employment rates have been improving steadily prospective students for the past two years • 75% of the Class of 2013 participated in at least Become Opportunities one externship or clinic • Enrollment has tripled in the three transnational • We have become smaller by reducing J.D. enrollment LL.M. programs by more than 15% • Students now have more hands-on opportunities to gain practical skills and experience And while achieving all of this, we’ve held the line on the • Renewing our focus on successful bar passage, we redesigned cost of legal education by greatly increasing scholarship our Academic Success Program assistance and by keeping our average student debt level • Career development is proactive, integrated, and down. In fact, we’re one of only 30 law schools in the entire individualized from the first semester on country—and the only law school in New York City—where • We added two more transnational LL.M. programs for American and foreign law graduates the average student debt level hasn’t increased in four years. • The Brennan Family Scholarship Matching Program launched this fall to build endowed scholarships We truly appreciate your generous support and invite you to keep the momentum going by making a gift to the Law School before our fiscal year ends on May 28, 2014 . You can use the enclosed envelope to mail us your contribution, or you can give online at lawgiving.stjohns.edu . Thank You. Contents spring 2014 FEATURES 18 St. John’s Law Goes In House Alumni Take the Lead as General Counsel 13 Mission Driven Lisa Kurbiel ’92 and Amanda Golob ’08 Fight for Human Rights at Home and Abroad 22 Irene Baker ‘02 18 A Native New Yorker Helps Legendary Madison Square Garden Raise Its Game COLUMNS 3 On Direct: Vice Dean Emeritus Andrew J. Simons ‘65 8 Trends: Law, Religion, and the Rise of the Nones in America 11 Advances: St. John’s Clinics Bring the Law to Life 16 Center Piece: IP Law at St. John’s 13 29 Second Acts: Jonelle Procope ‘77 20 36 Endnote: Marie A. Beary ‘44 DEPARTMENTS 2 From the Dean 4 In Brief 9 Faculty Focus 23 Alumni Highlights 30 Class Notes 34 Births 34 In Memoriam 22 Spring 2014 l 1 FRoM the DeAn st. John’s Law cultural institutions (p. 22 and p. 29) and Magazine as trailblazers for a diverse and inclusive profession (p. 34 and p. 36). And they Spring 2014 are transforming the business landscape as general counsel for top corporations (p. 18). I’ve gotten to know many of the Dean and John V. Brennan alumni featured in these stories, and each Professor of Law and ethics one shares a drive and determination Michael A. Simons that embodies the spirit and tradition of St. John’s Law. Associate Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Legal Writing Steven M. Rapp ‘83, featured in the Larry Cunningham After the rough New York winter, it was magazine’s cover story as Vice President great to take a 15-mile bike ride from my and General Counsel of Unilever North Vice Dean emeritus and home on Long Island to St. John’s on a America, will bring his expertise home to Interim Assistant Dean for students sunny spring day last week. The renewed St. John’s this fall when he teaches our Andrew J. Simons ‘65 vitality of the season was all around, and new course on the Role of the In-House it reminded me of the many ways the Counsel, one of many innovative new executive Director of Development Law School is transforming for the better. courses that we’re introducing. Rapp and Alumni Relations joins the Law School’s adjunct and Brian J. Woods In this time of great change in the legal full-time professors who bring a wealth profession and in the world, St. John’s of experience to educating the next Assistant Dean for Law is on the rise. I’m happy to report generation of St. John’s lawyers (p. 3). Alumni Relations and CLe that our key indicators are up this year: In addition to being dedicated teachers, Claire C. McKeever ’93 applications are up 11%, employment our faculty members are accomplished is up 8%, our bar passage rate is up 4%, scholars and sought-after media experts editor and alumni giving is up 110%. (p. 8 and p. 9). Lori Herz Copy editors The magazine also shares some of the This positive momentum is captured in Luisa A. Asaro the pages of this magazine, which has many activities and accomplishments of Claire K. Pollicino been renamed St. John’s Law Magazine our wonderful alumni (p. 23 and p. 30). Matthew M. Sobotta ‘11 to reflect a revitalized focus on, and As Dean, I’m always thrilled to spend collective pride in, alma mater . The time with the St. John’s alumni family. Art Director stories shared here are snapshots of And I’m particularly proud of how you Susan Louie the great strides we’re making at came together with unprecedented St. John’s Law. generosity to support the Brennan Family Photographer Scholarship Matching Program, which Jad Nammour Our curriculum—which remains has raised more than $6.4 million in grounded in rigorous teaching of the gifts and pledges to fund endowed Please send comments, fundamentals—now also provides scholarships for deserving students address changes, and class notes to: extensive opportunities for hands-on (p. 26). Your generosity this year will Editor, St. John’s Law Magazine learning (p. 4). Indeed, 75% of the class have a profound impact on the future School of Law of 2013 participated in at least one clinic of the Law School. St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway or externship. Our clinical program not Queens, NY 11439 only gives students valuable experience I hope you are inspired by the stories in the new St. John’s Law Magazine and with real-world legal practice and Fax (718) 990-5998 advocacy, it also introduces them to I look forward to seeing you very soon. E-mail [email protected] St. John’s Vincentian mission of serving www.law.stjohns.edu society’s most needy (p. 11). Many of our students continue this important Copyright 2014 work as mission-driven lawyers focused St. John’s University on the common good (p. 13). Michael A. Simons St. John’s alumni also make their mark Dean and John V. Brennan as leaders of iconic New York City Professor of Law and Ethics 2 l st. John’s Law Magazine on DIReCt two of us would be teachers and deans in my studies, and ended up doing well. here together 50 years later? That’s That same focus and drive have served been wonderful. I’ve also been fortunate me well in my career. to have had the guidance and friendship LH: You’re a wonderful mentor to of other deans at the Law School, starting St. John’s Law students and alumni. with Deans McNiece and Murphy during Have you had any mentors here? my days as a student. About eight years later, Dean Murphy asked me to join AJS: What was a real treat about the faculty as assistant dean. I happily joining the faculty after being a student held that position and taught until here was that all those feared teachers 1982, when I left St. John’s to practice became my colleagues. And that took Q+ environmental litigation as a partner a little getting used to. But I’d say that at Farrell Fritz. I came back to the Law my mentor and classroom model at wAith School in 2000 with Dean Bellacosa, the time was Ned Fagan, a very tough and then worked closely with Dean Daly and demanding torts professor who was until her untimely death in 2008. the “Professor Kingsfield” of St. John’s. LH: As a lawyer, you’ve worked in I think mentoring comes naturally to most professors, and I encourage public service, as an educator and students to go through our open doors a dean, and as a private practitioner. and take full advantage of that. There Was this a planned professional path? is nothing a professor likes more AJS: When I graduated from St. John’s than talking about the subject matter in 1965, I clerked for Judge Adrian P. he or she teaches. Burke at the New York Court of Appeals LH: What is it about the culture here for two years. They were two of the happiest years of my professional life— that makes St. John’s Law so special? it was like a post-graduate course, AJS: The atmosphere here is very studying at the highest level of positive and supportive. It really is like jurisprudence. At the time it never a family. I think the essence of the occurred to me that I would find a Law School is captured at our annual career in teaching. It was not on my St. Patrick’s Day sing-a-long. Some of horizon at all until Dean Murphy us faculty members play music in the offered me the job.