Abigail Drummond ’25 On Becoming a Justice-Driven Lawyer

Growing up in Jamaica, Queens, St. John’s Carnesecca Arena was a hallmark of community for Abigail Drummond. The famed venue will soon take on new meaning for her when she leads fellow graduates through its corridors to court-level seats as J.D. Student Marshal for the Law School’s 2025 Commencement.

Drummond looks forward to marking that major milestone on her path to becoming a justice-driven lawyer. It’s been a goal in sight since high school, when she was heavily involved in social justice work. Then, as a Princeton University undergraduate, she honed research and analytical skills at the intersection of health and technology, with a focus on addressing bias and injustice inherent in social systems, including the legal system. Compelled by those interests, Drummond started her studies at St. John’s Law.

“I’ve truly enjoyed my time at the Law School,” she says. “Prior to St. John’s, I was greatly disillusioned by formal classroom instruction. But during my time here, I fell back in love with learning.” With renewed inspiration, Drummond excelled academically. She earned a spot on the St. John’s Law Review and, as a rising 3L, was named the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, making her the first Black person to hold that position. “Being on the Law Review has been a highlight,” she shares, “from completing Bluebook assignments and spending a semester researching and writing my Note, to leading a team of talented and hardworking peers and engaging with authors from around the world.” 

To complement her journal experience, Drummond seized other opportunities to build valuable knowledge and skills. “St. John’s Law opened the door to some amazing internships,” she says. “I worked for a district court judge, two large companies, and a big law firm, and I learned so much and gained important mentorship at each one. I also studied abroad in Paris through the Dean’s Travel Study Program. It was a phenomenal trip, with great professors and classmates, and will be a memory I cherish for years to come.”

As she completed her final year, Drummond was delighted to receive the Student Excellence Award presented at the Law School’s annual Diversity & Inclusion Gala. “I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome, often writing off my success as a fluke,” she explains. “Receiving this year’s Student Excellence Award, and celebrating that achievement with wonderful friends and faculty, was the first time that I felt affirmed in my successes.” 

Imbued with that confidence, Drummond will start full time at Alston & Bird this fall. “I’m proud to be a Black woman in a predominantly white profession, and I hope my presence will inspire more girls and women of color to do so the same—to attend law school, to be on a journal, and to apply for whatever role they want, even when very few people look like them. I’m sure I’ll continue to face imposter syndrome every now and then, but when I do, I’ll remember what I accomplished at St. John’s Law, and will accomplish in my career, and thereby stay the course and keep going.”