Maryann Canfield expands access to summer fellowships for St. John's Law students. A total of 140 students received stipends for unpaid internships at nonprofit organizations and government agencies in New York and across the country this summer through the St. John's University School of Law's Summer Public Interest & Public Service Fellowship Program, according to an Aug. 11 announcement. The program is supported by alumni including Maryann Canfield, whose philanthropy aims to help students gain practical experience serving communities and advancing justice. Canfield's involvement with the Fellowship Program began through her work with the Alumnae Leadership Council, a chapter of the St. John's Law Alumni Association founded by Rose DiMartino. Inspired by matching challenges issued during the school's annual Public Interest Auction fundraiser, Canfield has helped support nine fellows over three years. "I've known Rose for many years since we worked together at Willkie Farr, and I'm honored that she introduced me to and included me in the ALC," Canfield said. "Getting to know young law students at the onset of their careers brings back memories. They remind me of the struggles and challenges of those early days, including financial challenges. I think many young lawyers, particularly women, would pursue careers in public interest but financial concerns sometimes get in the way. By supporting the Fellows, I hope to remove those barriers, at least in some small way." After retiring from Soros Fund Management LLC following 26 years - including 14 as General Counsel - Canfield reflected on how public interest experiences benefit all law students regardless of their eventual career path: "As a corporate lawyer, there was often little time for pro bono work," she said. "But I did get to participate in a few matters over the years. I always found it very rewarding, and it helped shape my perspective as a lawyer generally." John Squires '27 shared that his internship with New York Legal Assistance Group's Tenants' Rights Unit has been formative: "Nothing compares to firsthand and frontline experience," he said. "Meeting the clients I've assisted and hearing their stories never fails to reinforce my commitment to pursuing justice... Without the Summer Public Interest Fellowship, these experiences wouldn't be possible." Samantha Tsang '28 also described her internship as transformative: "The Fellowship has significantly deepened my commitment to promoting access to justice by providing a front-row seat to the judicial process... Observing oral arguments, hearings, and trials has illuminated the critical importance of ensuring that every party has their voice heard within the legal system..." Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz oversees this fellowship program as Director of St. John's Law School's DiMartino/Smith Public Interest Center: "This Program is a pillar of the Center's offerings and reflects our commitment to helping students explore and engage in work that underscores the legal professional's duty to promote social justice and serve the public good," she said. St. John's University operates campuses in Queens and Manhattan along with international sites; it offers more than 100 undergraduate majors across six schools as part of its mission as a Catholic Vincentian institution dedicated to liberal arts education under President Rev. Brian J. Shanley O.P., according to its official website.

Bessent invokes assassination attempt '2 hours after being sworn in' in dramatic brushback of leftist threat. Jul 16, 2026 - 11:00 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday he was the target of an assassination attempt by a "left-wing activist" just two hours after being sworn into office, citing the case as evidence that violent political extremism from the left is a real and growing threat. Speaking at the State Department's Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, Bessent pushed back against critics who have questioned the Trump administration's focus on violent far-left extremist groups. "I'm going to remind everyone in this room - and all the media - that I was the subject of an assassination attempt by an addled left-wing activist two hours after being sworn into my job," Bessent said. "Any of you who want to report that this is a fiction and does not exist, be there for the sentencing this August." Bessent appeared to be referring to Ryan Michael English, a 24-year-old Massachusetts man who pleaded guilty in March to charges related to attempting to assassinate the then-Treasury secretary nominee at the U.S. Capitol. English traveled to Washington on Jan. 27, 2025, carrying a folding knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails before approaching a U.S. Capitol Police officer and asking to turn himself in, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors said English admitted he had come to the Capitol intending to kill a Cabinet nominee whose Senate confirmation vote was scheduled that day or burn down a Washington think tank. Investigators also recovered a note in which he allegedly wrote, in part, "This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters." English pleaded guilty in March to one count of unlawful receipt, possession and transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14. Before his time as Treasury secretary, Bessent spent years at Soros Fund Management, serving as the firm's chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015 after earlier helping lead its London office. Following his departure, he launched Key Square Capital Management with backing from George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic megadonor who has frequently been a target of criticism from Trump and other conservatives. Bessent made the remarks as administration officials gathered representatives from roughly 65 countries for a State Department summit aimed at building international cooperation against what the Trump administration describes as a resurgence of violent far-left political terrorism.