MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Coalition for Social Justice shall be to provide an open and inclusive platform and outlet for St. John’s Law students to learn about and advocate for the broad spectrum of social justice issues. The vision for our membership and for our leadership is one where we collectively learn, both from each other and from external resources, and engage in experiences that assist in the development of the necessary skills to make us better advocates. The legal community has power, privilege, and influence. We strive to empower our members to capitalize in pursuit of a more equitable and just society.
As an organization we are committed to being a driving force in the St. John’s Law mission to “foster a diverse community emphasizing respect for the rights and dignity of every person.” We will strive to empower students to make their voices heard about their experiences in the St. John’s hallways, classrooms, and digital spaces. We will not hesitate to bring to light any transgressions against the more vulnerable and underrepresented communities in the student body. We will not hesitate to hold other student organizations and the overall administration accountable, call for action, and demand transparency in results.
In doing so we pledge our support to other student organizations. As long as their intentions and actions do not conflict with our core values, we stand in solidarity with all other affinity groups and other student organizations. If in our view another student organization's decisions are in opposition or challenge our mission we shall always proceed in a manner of creating space for communal reflection and evolution.
As a group that purports to concern themselves with social justice we affirm that our scope will be both intersectional and global. We commit to acknowledging and highlighting nuance. We will be ready and willing to pursue any issue that our membership expresses interest in or that the social climate deems pertinent.
Much of our core function will be to bring awareness, provide space for education, and organize around practical steps and tangible solutions. We affirm that we will always facilitate dialogue that leads to a collectively deepened understanding of the nuances and complexities of relevant legal issues. Our dialogues will always be open discourse. All perspectives are welcome, as long as they are respectful.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we commit to leading by example. We will strive to pave the way in terms of transparency and accountability. We will not only be receptive to but will actively seek feedback on everything we do. We affirm our humility. We will make mistakes, we will acknowledge them, we will learn from them and we will evolve.