AM announces the Class of 2025 Commencement Speaker, John McGowan '03

John W. McGowan, Esq., Albertus Magnus High School class of 2003, is a practicing attorney with his own firm, McGowan Law, PLLC, and is a former New York State Assemblyman and Rockland County Legislator.

While at Albertus, John was in the National Honor Society, Seat of Wisdom chapter, a member of the boys’ lacrosse team (varsity team captain senior year), Eucharistic minister, and member of the drama club. Upon graduation from Albertus, John attended St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC), graduating in 2007(BA, History, summa cum laude). Following graduation from STAC, John attended New York Law School, class of 2010 (JD, cum laude), where he was selected as the Managing Editor of the New York Law School Law Review.

After law school, John served as a Senior Assistant District Attorney with the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office and an assistant District Attorney with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office; in both offices he worked primarily as a special victims’ prosecutor. After leaving the DA’s office in 2017, John joined the law firm of Bleakley Platt & Schmidt LLP in Westchester County and was named partner in 2022. John then began his own law practice in November 2023 in New City. John’s current practice is focused on commercial litigation and transactional matters, representing individuals, businesses, municipalities, and labor unions at all stages of litigation throughout New York State. John also serves as labor counsel to several police unions in the Hudson Valley.

John entered politics in 2019, first being elected to the Rockland County Legislature, and then being elected to the New York State Assembly representing in Rockland County in 2022. John served in the Assembly for the 2023 to 2024 legislative term, assigned to the Health, Education, Transportation, Children and Families, and People with Disabilities committees. John also served as the Ranker in the Small Business Committee. Presently, John serves as Counsel to the Assembly Minority Conference where he provides legal analysis to Assembly members on bills assigned to the Codes, Children and Families, and Corrections committees. John also served as an adjunct professor at STAC from 2013 through 2019, teaching undergraduate courses in criminal law and evidence. John was previously a faculty instructor with the Orangetown Police Youth Court.

John met his wife, Christine Rose, class of 2004, in his junior year at Albertus. John and Christine recently welcomed the birth of their daughter, Abigail Rose McGowan (future AM class of 2043!) in February.  Aside from work, John enjoys time with his wife Christine, daughter Abigail, and their two dogs, Finnegan and Shilelagh. John is an avid musician, playing guitar since he was 13 and bagpipes since he was 19. He is also a diehard New York Yankees and New York Giants fan and an aspiring golfer.

John is also active in his community as a member of the Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians, where he served as County President for six years, Pearl River Elks, Blauvelt Knights of Columbus, and volunteers with the American Legion Post 329 (Pearl River) and Lourdes Kids of Rockland.