Duffy & Duffy Law Firm and Managing Partner Michael Duffy ’94 Endow Catholic Middle School Mock Trial Program

Michael A. Simons, Dean of the School of Law at St. John’s University, is pleased to announce that the Law Firm of Duffy & Duffy ― under the direction of Managing Partner Michael Duffy `94L ― has graciously endowed
the Catholic Middle School Mock Trial Program hosted annually at the Law School. The $125,000 gift ensures that students will continue to enjoy this unique, hands-on opportunity to learn about the practice and profession of law for many years to come.

Entering its 11th year, and co-hosted by St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope Regional School in Westbury, New York, the Catholic Middle School Mock Trial Program regularly draws close to 300 participants from 14 area Catholic schools. The students spend weeks preparing their cases and practicing with lawyer coaches and mentors. On the day of the mock trial, they present their cases in a realistic setting with Law School faculty, alumni and friends volunteering as judges. The fact pattern provided to the students is timely and relevant to the junior litigators.

“Experiential learning is a cornerstone of our curriculum at St. John’s School of Law,” said Dean Simons, who helps to organize the event. “It is an engaging and enriching approach to learning about the practice of law and about the lawyers and other professionals who occupy the field.” Noting that St. John’s University is committed to supporting Catholic education, Dean Simons added: “We’re pleased be able to provide this opportunity to middle school students in our local Catholic schools. Mock trial programs such as this one offer children an invaluable opportunity to gain an insider’s view of our legal system, develop their analytical and reasoning skills, practice public speaking and build their self-confidence. This is an experience that they carry with them into high school and through their higher educational pursuits.”

Michael Duffy was drawn to this program because of his exposure to the law at an early age. He learned about the legal process each night at the dinner table as his father, a successful trial attorney, re-capped the day’s courtroom activities. Years later, Michael is now a father himself and manages a team of litigators at his Uniondale, New York firm. “The law is a truly wonderful profession that is vital to our society,” he said. “Through the practice of law, we are able to better our communities and to bring justice to our world. As a lawyer and as a father, I am truly honored to help sustain the Catholic Middle School Mock Trial Program at my alma mater and, in this way, to nurture the next generation of lawyers who will serve the greater good.”