Law School Career Development Office Hosts Speed Mentoring Event

Last month, St. John’s law students and recent graduates had a unique opportunity to network with members of the local legal community at a Speed Mentoring program held at the Law School. Fashioned after popular speed dating events to provide a forum for learning about the legal profession and forging valuable professional connections, the mentoring program was co-hosted by the Career Development Office (CDO) and the Queens County Women’s Bar Association and co-sponsored by the:

• Queens Civil Court Gender Fairness Committee
• Asian American Bar Association of New York
• Muslim Bar Association of New York
• St. John’s School of Law Alumni Association
• St. John’s School of Law Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA)
• St. John’s School of Law Women's Law Society

The evening opened with remarks by Hon. Bernice D. Siegal (Supreme Court, Queens County, Civil Term), president of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association, and Lourdes M. Ventura, an attorney at Ahmuty, Demers & McManus who helped organize the event as co-chair of the Association’s Diversity Committee. Participants then engaged one-on-one in a series of timed four-minute rounds, discussing topics ranging from employment outlook to proper dress. The student and alumni mentees each met with about eight mentors, giving them insight into a variety of professional pathways and practice areas and allowing them to experience what it is like to interact professionally in a short period of time. Before and after the timed rounds, the mentees had a chance to connect with each other and with the mentors.

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In addition to Justice Siegel, the following judges participated as mentors:

• Hon. Darrell L. Gavrin (Supreme Court, Queens County, Civil Term)
• Hon. Maureen A. Healy '75 (Civil Court of the City of New York, Queens County)
• Hon. George M. Heymann (New York City Housing Court, Kings County)

Along with the esteemed judges, several Law School alumni volunteered as mentors for the evening, including:

• Donna Furey ‘01
• Sergio A. Blanco '10
• Catherine R. Everett ‘02
• Hilary Gingold '85
• Ricardo Rengifo '91
• Craig Rokuson '06
• Caren L. Samplin ‘83
• Eun Chong Thorsen '08

Reflecting on the successful event, mentee Felicia Rovegno ’10 shared, “I met with Justice Siegel and she offered me a volunteer position in which I will assist in writing decisions on different types of motions, This opportunity is great because not only will I continue to use my legal research and writing skills, but I will also be exposed to many different areas of the law and different types of motions that can be brought before the court.” Lourdes Ventura added, "Under the leadership of Justice Siegal, the Queens County Women's Bar Association has continued to promote and support the development of young lawyers. This Speed Mentoring event allowed law students and new law graduates the opportunity to chat with seasoned attorneys from various practice areas to obtain real information about the practice of law. The participants were able to obtain a wide range perspective on networking, job search tips and much more. We are pleased that the St. John's School of Law, as well as other organizations, partnered with us and anticipate making this an annual event."

The Speed Mentoring program is just one of several programs the CDO organizes for students and alumni each semester. Current students and alumni should check the Law School event calendar, the Symplicity Career Management System and CDO’s weekly newsletter for upcoming events.