St. John’s Law names DiMartino/Smith Public Interest Center after historic donation
St. John’s University School of Law has announced that its Public Interest Center will be named the DiMartino/Smith Public Interest Center, following a multimillion-dollar endowment from alumna Rose DiMartino and her spouse, Karen Sue Smith. This is the largest naming gift in the law school’s 100-year history.
The center has provided St. John’s Law students with opportunities to gain practical experience while promoting social justice and serving the public for over a decade. Programs include the Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program, which offers stipends for students to work in unpaid positions at nonprofit organizations, courts, and government agencies. Rose DiMartino has been a longtime supporter of this program by funding multiple fellowships.
Students also participate in pro bono initiatives coordinated by the center, such as the Spring Break Service Program, Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office Project, and Pro Bono Working Lunch. These programs are funded through an annual auction supported by alumni donations.
With this new endowment, the center plans to expand its offerings by launching new programming like the Public Interest Intensive, increasing stipends for fellows, broadening pro bono initiatives that provide hands-on legal experience to students, and hosting symposia on issues affecting underserved communities in New York.
Center Director Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz said: “Building on their history of great generosity, Rose DiMartino’s and Karen Sue Smith’s gift to endow the Center is a strategic investment in our students and the futures they are shaping. It not only expands the pipeline for those pursuing careers in public interest and public service but also empowers us to innovate in ways that prepare all our students to become the well-rounded, practice-ready lawyers our communities need.”
Ortiz-Ortiz added: “The Center embodies a commitment that is deeply woven into the Law School’s mission and culture and that unites our community. It reminds us that advancing the common good and upholding the integrity of our legal system are shared responsibilities that go beyond the 50-hour pro bono requirement for New York Bar admission and continue to guide our graduates wherever their careers take them.”
Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum commented: “As the Law School’s 10th Dean and inaugural Rose DiMartino and Karen Sue Smith Professor of Law, I’m deeply grateful for Rose’s and Karen’s visionary support. Their gift will strengthen the Center’s position as a national leader in public interest and public service education, preparing our graduates to use the law for good and to serve their profession with purpose.”
Rose DiMartino stated: “The Public Interest Center is where law students can live out the Vincentian values of compassionate care for others using the legal skills they are developing, and Karen and I are privileged to support the wonderful work they do.”
St. John’s University operates as a Catholic institution rooted in Vincentian tradition with campuses in Queens and Manhattan as well as international sites including Rome, Paris, and Limerick (official website). The university supports multicultural efforts through various centers (official website) while offering undergraduate majors across six schools (official website).
The naming of this center comes as St. John’s Law marks its centennial anniversary.
