Jack Vobis
Brooklyn, New York
3L
Jack Vobis has seen law practiced at the
highest level—and now he plans to do more than watch
Jack Vobis didn’t have to look far for inspiration on going to
law school. The Brooklyn native has worked for the New York state
courts as a court officer since 1990, and for the past eight years
has worked as the driver and security officer for Chief Judge
Judith Kaye.
“It was great being exposed to such a wonderful judge, and a
wonderful person. She has been an inspiration in my education and
my decision to come to law school. Seeing the law as it’s practiced
at such a high level, at the Court of Appeals, is inspiring. It
made me want to learn more about it.”
Jack also was no stranger to St. John’s School of Law. His wife
is director of social work at a nursing home, and he’s seen her
deal with the problems that the elderly deal with. So he had gained
familiarity with the work of St. John’s Elder Law Clinic.
“So for me, once I came here, I knew I’d be a part of that
clinic. It was a great, fulfilling experience.”
In his time here, Jack has also taken advantage of many other
opportunities offered at St. John’s, namely its nationally
respected trial advocacy team, which recently has been ranked #1 in
the nation and is consistently ranked in the top 10.
“I’m executive director of the Polestino Trial Advocacy
Institute, which runs all the mock trial programs. We have a great
reputation nationwide, we’ve been in the top 10 ranked law schools
for the past five years. We have great teams that compete in
tournaments throughout the U.S. We’ve had great success, and it’s
been a great pleasure to be involved with it.”
Attending law school as a part-time student isn’t easy. As a
full-time worker and father of two, it’s taken an extraordinary
amount of dedication.
“It can be difficult, it keeps you busy. But it’s also very
rewarding. It’s an experience I’m glad I didn’t pass up.”
And as a result of his experience, there are no limits to what
Jack’s future holds. The one thing Jack does know is the kind of
work he wants to do.
“I want to be in a courtroom. One of the biggest reasons I came
to St. John’s was because of the practical approach here, things
like the advocacy program and elder law clinic. They allow you to
develop your skills as a real lawyer does. You gain things you just
can’t in a classroom. And that’s what I want to do when I graduate,
practice law in a courtroom.”
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