St. John's School of Law Celebrates Grand Opening of the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law

QUEENS, N.Y., Nov. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by distinguished alumni, government officials, and business leaders, St. John's University School of Law launched the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law.

The institute was established through a transformational $3 million gift from St. John's University and St. John's Law alumnus Joseph M. Mattone, Sr., chairman and chief executive officer of the Mattone Group, LLC, a Queens-based development and construction company that manages over two million square feet of commercial, residential, and industrial properties in New York, Georgia, Illinois, Connecticut, and Florida. Mr. Mattone is also a senior partner at Mattone, Mattone, Mattone LLP, a full-service law firm in Queens.

Throughout his professional career, Mr. Mattone has promoted education and philanthropy. He was the first person to give $1 million to St. John's University, and served as a founding member of its board of governors.

Housed in new, spacious quarters at St. John's Law and led by a full-time director, St. John's Law alumnus Robert J. Sein, the Mattone Institute will be the academic and pre-professional training hub for all St. John's Law students interested in pursuing a career in real estate law. It will offer, among other programs, scholarships and fellowships, an expanded curriculum, practical skills-based training, externships and internships, continuing legal education, and conferences.

On hand to celebrate the Mattone Institute's grand opening were St. John's Law alumnae Hon. Janet DiFiore, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the State of New York, and Queens Borough President Melinda N. Katz, who thanked Mr. Mattone and his family for providing a vital real estate forum to St. John's Law and the wider community. Ms. Katz also presented Mr. Mattone with a proclamation declaring Wednesday, November 8, 2017 to be Joseph M. Mattone, Sr. Day in Queens.

Expressing his gratitude to the Mattones, Dean and John. V. Brennan Professor of Law and Ethics Michael A. Simons said, "St. John's Law has a long history of producing excellent real estate attorneys, and the Mattone Family Institute for Real Estate Law will cement our role as a hub for legal education, scholarship, and training in New York for years to come."

About St. John's University School of Law
Established in 1925 and located on the beautiful Queens, NY, campus of St. John's University, St. John's School of Law prepares students with the skills and values required for global legal practice. Over 700 Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) students achieve academic excellence through rigorous teaching, scholarly research, and hands-on application of knowledge in clinics, externships, and other programs. The National Law Journal named St. John's Law the #38 "2017 Go-To Law School" for placing graduates in the 100 biggest law firms, and the Law School ranks #28 for placing graduates in full-time, long-term legal jobs (2016 ABA Employment Summary). St. John's bar passage rate for first-time July 2017 exam takers was 89.2%, exceeding New York's statewide average of 86%. St. John's Law has a strong, worldwide network of over 16,000 alumni, including distinguished public servants, leaders of preeminent international law firms and corporations, and pioneering global entrepreneurs.

You can read more about the Mattone Institute launch here. For information about St. John's Law, please visit www.stjohns.edu/law.

SOURCE St. John's University