Two years ago, I watched as my mother ironed my clothes on the frayed wooden floors of our home in Queens in preparation for my first day as a summer associate at a Biglaw firm. I hadn’t realized that the only professional suit I owned was badly wrinkled from my travels between Boston and New York. Frustrated with the slow pace and sloppiness of my handiwork, my mom–like any other impatient mom watching her daughter panic over clothes–took over. She used the floor in lieu of our lack of a proper ironing board, wielding the same iron that we’ve had since we immigrated to the United States 20 years ago. Her wizened hands smoothed out the creases in my blazer, and I wondered how much time had passed while I hadn’t even noticed that my mom had grown old in the years she waited for me to achieve my dream.
Continue readingTake a Break from Studying: The Pets of BC Law (2024 Edition)
As we embark on final exams and the end of a semester, I’m grateful to wrap up my final BC Law Impact Blog post with the pets of BC, thanks to everyone’s stellar submissions of their adorable pets. My niche at the blog has not been hard-hitting journalism, and I’m happy not to start now.
Cooper: Caleb Brady’s Golden Doodle
Caleb is a 2L from Lakeville, MN and Cooper is his 3-year-old Golden Doodle who is energetic, loving, and [a little too] friendly.
Continue readingThese New BC Law Employment Numbers are Crazy Good
Numbers talk.
BC Law’s Career Services office submitted its employment data to the American Bar Association this past month. Of a class of 243 students, 239 (or 97.9%) were employed, with 96.7% in a full-time, long-term, bar-passage required or JD advantage position.
72% were employed in law firms, and 22% were employed in positions in government, public interest, or a judicial clerkship. Massachusetts was the most popular destination for students post-graduation, with New York and California following behind.
Continue readingFive Tips for Success When Applying for Law Review
As one of the Editors in Chief of the Boston College Law Review this year—and in keeping with my general life goal of seeking to encourage as many people as possible to consider law review—I thought I’d put together some quick tips for success in the application process. For my dear anxious 1Ls: I was in your shoes two years ago. I was exhausted. I was limping towards the summer break and trying to wrap my head around the commerce clause. But I did the application and got offered a spot on law review. And you can too. Here are my top tips for journal application success:
- Treat it like a job
Channel your inner Dolly Parton and treat putting together your journal application materials as a job. Take a couple of days off to recover from the post-finals malaise, then hit the ground running (but within the confines of an eight-hour-workday). Start work on the materials at 9 and finish at 5. You do not have to spend all of your waking hours on the materials—see my next point.
Continue readingThe House TikTok Ban is an Empty Threat
This guest post by BC Law Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Daniel Lyons first appeared in TIME, and was reposted in the AEIdeas Blog.
Last month, the House of Representatives proudly voted to ban TikTok unless its corporate parent sells the app within six months. But proponents eager to strike a blow against the Chinese government might not celebrate just yet. There are three main problems with the proposed TikTok ban: it’s probably unconstitutional, it’s practically unenforceable, and, even if it worked, it wouldn’t solve the problem of China gathering sensitive data about American users.
Other than that, it’s fine.
Continue readingLaw School in Action: Entrepreneurship & Innovation Clinic
Boston College Law School gives its students a wide range of classes to take that are taught by some of the best scholars in the field. Yet, while learning about the law in a classroom is crucial to becoming a successful attorney, nothing prepares you for day-to-day practice more than getting hands-on experience before graduating. That’s where BC Law’s clinics come in.
Law students in their second and third years of study can apply for coveted spots in any of the school’s fifteen clinics. No matter what someone’s legal interest is, there’s a clinic for them! To help students better understand the opportunities available to them, the BC Law Impact Blog is highlighting each of these clinics this semester. Here is our interview with the director of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Clinic, Sandy Tarrant.
Tell us about your clinic!
The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Clinic (EIC) is a transactional clinic where students represent very early-stage businesses on transactional matters. Working under my supervision, students provide a range of business law, intellectual property, and transactional services to operating businesses and founders hoping to start them. Our clients include technology entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, brick and mortar businesses, nonprofit organizations and, from time to time, artists of different types. Often, some clients are Boston College student entrepreneurs! These clients come to us with legal needs ranging from entity formation, governance matters, and trademark applications, to contract drafting and negotiation, regulatory compliance, and asset purchases and sales.
Continue readingFour Things I’m Looking Forward to in 2L
With less than a month before finals, the reality has dawned on me. After I take my last final for Con Law, on May 13, I’ll officially be done with 1L. Law school, thus far, has been a rewarding experience. I’ve learned more about the law than I could’ve ever imagined possible in just one year.
Here’s what I’m looking forward to as I take the next step in my law school journey.
- More free time
Let’s face it. The 1L schedule is rough. In one way, it’s great to come away with exposure to all different types of law. But I definitely won’t miss the 8:30 am-4:30 pm school days. The main piece of reassurance I’ve received from my older peers has been that “it only gets better from here.” Having more of a work-life balance next year will certainly help.
Continue readingLaw School in Action: Amicus Brief Clinic
Boston College Law School gives its students a wide range of classes to take that are taught by some of the best scholars in the field. Yet, while learning about the law in a classroom is crucial to becoming a successful attorney, nothing prepares you for day-to-day practice more than getting hands-on experience before graduating. That’s where BC Law’s clinics come in.
Law students in their second and third years of study can apply for coveted spots in any of the school’s fifteen clinics. No matter what someone’s legal interest is, there’s a clinic for them! To help students better understand the opportunities available to them, the BC Law Impact Blog is highlighting each of these clinics this semester. Here is our interview with the director of the Amicus Brief Clinic, Tom Carey.
Continue readingInterested in International Law? There’s an Org for You
Whether you’re a prospective or current law student, or simply intrigued by the evolving landscape of international law, the new and improved International Law Society at Boston College Law School provides a platform where interested students can engage in meaningful dialogue, learn from experts, and explore the vast possibilities within international law. We interviewed the founding members and current E-Board of the International Law Society to uncover the inspirations behind its formation, its core objectives, and the exciting array of activities and events it has in store.
Continue readingA BC Law Bucket List — Five Things You Should Do Before Graduating
As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it’s a sure sign that the school year is rapidly coming to an end. Graduation is nearing, and part of me feels like I’ve been at Boston College forever by now, but another part feels like three years have passed by with a blink. As I reflect on what is likely (definitely) my last year ever as a student, there are some experiences that I’m grateful to have had, but also some opportunities that I wish I hadn’t let slip by. If you have more than four weeks left in your time at BC Law, here’s a list of things I did that I would recommend to anyone, along with some things I wish I did when I had the chance.
Continue reading
BC Law: Impact 