Richard Benning

”Ramapo College sparked my interest in the law. My very first law course was Constitutional Law. Once I learned of the practice of judicial review and how a law could be held unconstitutional, I was hooked.

At first I found the variety of courses at Ramapo ‎College overwhelming. Not knowing what I wanted to dedicate my life to, I started looking at subjects that interested me: History, Literature, Philosophy and that one class in Law, which would change my life. I ultimately decided on Ramapo’s Law and Society Major, for not only the legal analyses portion of it, but also because of the integrated ‘social’ perspective of the degree.  Even my involvement in Greek Life taught me interactive social skills which I have drawn upon as a lawyer and public servant. Most of my friends in the classes went on to be police officers, but my interest in the law never faded. I did an internship at the Bergen County Justice Center ‎which confirmed that I wanted to practice law. I often sat in on court cases during lunch, and worked behind the scenes getting to know the inner workings of the county courthouse.

The beauty and history of the campus, and its close proximity to Ramapo Reservation gave me an appreciation for public lands. I worked for the Trail Conference where I learned the basics of conservation in New Jersey and New York State. In late 2006 I started work for New York City’s Dept. of Environmental Protection as a Project Manager/Real Estate Specialist.

While I don’t practice law in New York, I use my legal knowledge to ‎research deeds, draft contracts for fee and easement purchases, and research all aspects of some stunning properties where I get to meet a lot of interesting people. “

– Richard Benning ’95 graduated with a degree in Law and Society. He graduated in 1999 from Seton Hall with a J.D. degree and passed the New Jersey bar in 2001. He currently works for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.