April 6, 2020
A message from Interim Dean Vincent R. Johnson, J.D., LL.D.:
The St. Mary’s University School of Law is educating the lawyers who will play key roles in rebuilding the economy, the arts and the environment as the coronavirus pandemic subsides. Those lawyers will sort out claims, advise businesses, serve as judges, write new laws, and otherwise contribute to the administration of justice — just as St. Mary’s lawyers have been doing for nearly a hundred years.
Temporarily, all classes have moved online, and the law school is following the social-distancing measures that are helping to fight the spread of COVID-19. But whether things get “back to normal” or shift to a “new normal,” you can be sure that personal relationships, at the campus or online, will be the heart of legal education at St. Mary’s. The faculty and staff are committed to providing a first-class education to each individual member of our richly diverse student body.
St. Mary’s has always been deeply committed to championing the interests of the disadvantaged and the oppressed. That work is more important than ever before. Our commitment will not change.
We will continue to provide legal training that encourages law students to develop a broad perspective, one that is both local and global, tightly focused yet vast. St. Mary’s lawyers have long played important roles in the halls of Congress and other corridors of power. Our newest law graduates will help to rebuild international trade and domestic prosperity, and address pressing international problems, such as climate change, immigration, workers’ rights and political corruption.
Earning a law degree at St. Mary’s can open doors to professional advancement and career opportunities. It is hard work. But for many students, it is also wonderfully intellectually exciting. Becoming a St. Mary’s lawyer is an empowering transformation that will enable you to excel on many fronts and in countless ways.
Great challenges present great opportunities. This is an excellent time to study law at St. Mary’s. At the moment, everything is different, but nothing has changed.