Each summer, St. John’s University School of Law faculty members work with students on research projects that provide practical experience and academic growth. Through these collaborations, students develop skills in legal research, writing, and analysis while engaging with scholarship that can influence legal doctrine and public policy.

Professor Ashley B. Armstrong partnered with Valentina LaRocca ’27 for a project focused on the Price Waterhouse case, a significant Supreme Court decision regarding gender stereotypes and sex discrimination under Title VII. The project aimed to introduce a new framework for studying law by encouraging students to look beyond traditional case briefing methods.

“The project involves a new and compelling framework for how students can study the law,” LaRocca said. “It takes us beyond traditional case briefing, encouraging us to ask what stories judicial opinions leave out, and why. I’m always excited by opportunities that challenge me to think about the law in new ways, to explore innovative approaches to legal analysis, and to refine my research and writing skills. This felt like exactly that kind of opportunity.”

Professor Armstrong explained her approach: “My approach to contextual case briefing is part of a growing body of scholarship advocating for a paradigm shift in legal education,” she said. “In conventional case briefing, students are taught to identify the rule, issue, holding, and rationale in a vacuum. The contextual case method, by contrast, asks them to interrogate what is missing, or deemphasized, and how the law both reflects and reinforces systems of power.”

LaRocca’s responsibilities included reviewing court opinions, examining briefs submitted during litigation, analyzing dissenting opinions, and consulting scholarly articles for historical or critical perspectives. Professor Armstrong noted the impact of LaRocca’s contributions: “Valentina is a phenomenal RA,” she said. “She found amicus briefs filed in the Price Waterhouse litigation that I didn’t know existed—and she uncovered articles that wrote critically about the case—including the article I ended up using prominently in my presentation and publication.”

Reflecting on her experience as a research assistant (RA), LaRocca said: “My summer RA experience has fundamentally shaped the kind of lawyer I want to be,” she shared. “It’s trained me to look beyond the surface of judicial decisions, to ask more profound questions about fairness, bias, and the stories that go untold. As a future litigator, being able to critically analyze not only what the court said, but also why it said it, will enable me to be a more thoughtful advocate.”

Elizabeth Byrnes ’27 also described her summer as formative after working with Professor Philip Lee on issues related to educational access and diversity in selective public high school admissions.

“I’m interested in ways we can increase educational access given the legal framework that has been constructed by the Supreme Court over the past 70 years,” Professor Lee said.

“My scholarship focuses on educational access and inclusion. I believe that these things are at the center of human flourishing. The controversy of who gets into selective public high schools is a microcosm of racial discourse in the United States. I aim to highlight some of the themes that emerge from this debate.”

Byrnes conducted research on two major lawsuits relevant to Professor Lee’s article—studying their progress through various stages and reviewing how other scholars have discussed them.

“By reviewing materials from each stage of these lawsuits, I’ve seen the work that attorneys on all sides put into advancing their clients’ positions,” Byrnes said. “Attorneys are participants in critical societal debates about equity and justice. This experience has helped me grow as a future attorney by deepening my understanding of how litigation evolves over time and reinforcing the importance of community awareness in legal advocacy. It’s also affirmed my desire to practice education law in a manner that prioritizes meaningful social impact.”

Professor Lee commented on Byrnes’ commitment: “Working with a professor on a research project helps a student develop a deep understanding of a legal controversy,” he said. “It allows a student to delve into the issues, follow along as legal scholars debate various points, and contribute to the formation of a thesis. It also provides an opportunity for a student to hone research, writing, and citation skills. As a teacher, I seek ways to make all these things happen. I hope Elizabeth—and all student RAs—see that ideas matter. They can expand the ways in which people see the world and plant seeds for changing it into something better.”