St. John's University School of Law

St. John's University School of Law offers the only LL.M. in Bankruptcy law in the United States.[4] The program is a 30 credit LL.M., with 6 credits devoted towards a thesis. St. John's School of Law offers over two dozen classes focusing on various issues in bankruptcy. Required courses for the program are: Reorganization Under Chapter 11; Bankruptcy Fraud, Ethics, and Malpractice; Bankruptcy Taxation; Bankruptcy Jurisdiction; Bankruptcy Procedure; and Consumer Bankruptcy. Classes are taught by a mixture of law professors, Federal Bankruptcy Court judges, and practicing attorneys. The St. John's LL.M. in Bankruptcy Program is fully accredited. It has been approved by the New York State Department of Education, and has received the acquiescence of the American Bar Association.[5]

St. John's University School of Law typically ranks in the top 4 – 6 in bar exam passage for first-time test takers among the fifteen New York State law schools:

July 2004 – 87% / Overall New York State Average – 76.5% [6][7]

July 2005 – 89% (4th) / Overall New York State Average – 75.9%[7][8]

July 2006 – 91% (4th) / Overall New York State Average 79.4% [7][9]

July 2007 – 90% (6th) / Overall New York State Average – 79.1%[7][10]

July 2008 – 91.8% (7th) / Overall New York State Average – 83.2% [7][11]

July 2009 – 92.1% (4th) / Overall New York State Average – 79.8%[7][12]

July 2010 – 87% (6th) / Overall New York State Average – 86%[13]

July 2011 – 88% (7th) / Overall New York State Average – 86% [14]

In 2013, 87.5% of the law school's first-time test takers passed the bar exam, placing the law school seventh-best among New York's 15 law schools.[15]

July 2014 - 87% (4th) / Overall New York State Average - 83% [16]

July 2019 - 89% (5th)[17]

National Ranking: for 2020, U.S. News & World Report ranked St. John's Law 74nd[18]

According to St. John's University School of Law's official 2018 ABA-required disclosures, 82.3% of the Class of 2018 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment ten months after graduation.[19] St. John's University School of Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 7.1%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2018 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job ten months after graduation.[20]

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at St. John's University School of Law for the 2014–2015 academic year is $76,614.[21] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $285,041.[22]

The Conrad B. Duberstein Moot Court Competition is an annual bankruptcy moot court competition sponsored by St. John's University School of Law and the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI). The competition is named in memory of former Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein, who was a St. John's alumnus and former ABI Director. The competition focuses on significant issues in bankruptcy practice. It is the largest single site appellate moot court competition, with approximately 60 law school teams participating.[23] It is also the only bankruptcy moot court competition in the nation.[24] Bankruptcy practitioners judge the preliminary rounds and briefs. New York-area bankruptcy judges from around the country judge the later rounds of the competition.

St. John's Moot Court Honor Society and American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review members organize and run the competition. Additionally, they prepare the bench memo for the judges, field ghost teams, and serve as bailiffs during the competition.[24] The competition winners, best briefs and best advocates are recognized at an awards banquet.[25]

The Frank S. Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute is the mock trial program for St. John's University School of Law.[26]

Mock Trial Championships:

• Law of New York

• Official website