June 28, 2012
Claire McKeever ’80SVC, ’93L has been an administrator at St.
John’s since the early ’80s, but her University roots can be traced
back well before that. Her father – Bill McKeever ’40C – was a
captain on the St. John’s Basketball team in the late ’30s and
remained a fan for life. Naturally, his young daughter became a
Johnnies supporter as well.
“You could say that I’ve been raised with St. John’s,”
McKeever said. “As a kid, I went to all of the basketball games,
and all of my parents’ friends – my ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ – were
from St. John’s. The University has always been a huge part of my
life.”
McKeever currently serves as Assistant Dean of Alumni Relations and
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) at St. John’s School of
Law. Her primary objective is to engage the Law School’s over
15,000 alumni, hosting events and helping to facilitate networking
opportunities. She also manages the
School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors, providing
an infrastructure for its 12 chapters and six affinity
groups.
It’s the perfect job for this dedicated double alumna, since it
allows her to share her enthusiasm for the University with fellow
graduates.
“I truly loved being a student here at St. John’s, especially at
the School of Law,” she explained. “At St. John’s, there is a
tremendous sense of community, which clearly sets us apart from the
rest of the pack. Our faculty and administration truly care about
our students and alumni.”
One of McKeever’s goals is to keep young alumni engaged with the
University and to help them navigate today’s difficult job market.
With St. John’s having such a strong presence in New York, she
believes that networking events and mentoring opportunities are
more important than ever.
“We have over 12,000 School of Law alumni working in the metro area
alone,” she said. “They’re all tremendously helpful and well
connected to the Law School. They are industry experts and are
involved with our student organizations, serving as mentors to
recent graduates. Simply put, the Law School remains a tremendous
resource to our alumni, and they remain a tremendous resource to
the School.”
McKeever is also responsible for arranging the School of Law’s
Continuing Legal Education program, which is offered to St.
John’s alumni and friends. Many jurisdictions, including New York,
require attorneys to take these essential courses. McKeever serves
as a vital resource for all of our alumni, regardless of where they
reside, to help them complete this program.
“The CLE program is just another service that we offer our
graduates,” said McKeever. “These are high-quality courses that
also give our alumni the opportunity to stay in touch with the Law
School and to network with each other.”
The most popular format is the CLE Weekends, which are held in the
Fall and in the Spring.
St. John’s has changed immeasurably since McKeever’s childhood days
of attending Men’s Basketball games, and she’s glad that she’s been
able to play a vital role in the University’s development.
“When my friends come back to campus, they are in awe of the Law
School’s beautiful and spacious facility,” she said. “Not only has
campus improved with additions like the D’Angelo Center, but the
School of Law’s building here with Finley Hall and Belson Hall has
nearly doubled in size.”
She added, “And though the landscape has changed, the community
feeling remains the same. This is a wonderful place, and I’m so
glad that I can help keep our alumni connected.”
You can contact Claire McKeever by calling (718) 990-6028 or by
e-mail at mckeevec@stjohns.edu.