The Accidental Advocate

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This guest post was written by Margie Palladino ’85, Executive Director of Mass Family Advocacy Coalition (MFAC) and candidate to serve on the Governor’s Council for Massachusetts.

Boston College Law School teaches the practice of law in the Jesuit tradition of service to others. Of all the lessons I learned there, one has stayed with me throughout my life: our legal system does not affect everyone equally.

As a law student, I was taught that people who are marginalized or lack resources can experience our justice system very differently. When you don’t have the money, the support, or even the “right-color” skin, justice can be much harder to reach.

That lesson planted a seed. I just didn’t pay much attention to it at the time.

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AI Poses Opportunities, Risks for Higher Education

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This guest post by BC Law Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Daniel Lyons first appeared in the AEIdeas Blog.

Generative AI is bringing Schumpeterian disruption to the stodgy world of higher education. As in other areas of the economy, the AI revolution is changing the university landscape. It is exposing long-standing flaws in the institution, perhaps most fundamentally its overreliance on exams, term papers, and grades as proxies for learning. This moment of creative destruction poses both challenges and opportunities for administrators like me and the students we serve.

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The Water Fight over Data Centers Is a Distraction. The Grid Fight Is the Real Story.

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This guest post by BC Law Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Daniel Lyons first appeared in the AEIdeas Blog.

Meta recently announced it would expand Project Hyperion, its data center under construction in Richland Parish, Louisiana, into a 5-gigawatt, $50 billion facility that will be one of the largest AI campuses in the world. The announcement landed amid an increasingly organized, bipartisan movement to block future data center construction. By one estimate, opponents blocked or delayed 75 projects representing $130 billion in investment in the first quarter of 2026 alone, citing water and electricity consumption among other concerns. But a closer look at these concerns shows that some of the loudest objections do not survive contact with the numbers.

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So You’re an Incoming 1L? Here’s What to Expect, Month by Month

/ Zoe Arvanitis-Dalpe / Leave a comment

Hi, future 1Ls.

I hope you’re well, considering you’re only about a month away from starting law school.

Some of you are excited beyond measure, trying to consume every Reddit recommendation you can find. Some of you are stressed and already drafting warning notes to your loved ones about the person you’re about to become over the next three years.

Consider this my own warning note—one intended to level out both camps.

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A Law Student’s Guide to Best Boston Restaurants

/ Catherine Beveridge / Leave a comment

Summertime is here in Boston! Now that we are past the festivities of the Fourth of July, everyone is going to fall into the dog days and complain there’s no good food in the city. Much like my stance regarding there’s nothing to do in Boston, I vehemently disagree. With two years of life here now under my belt, I’ve compiled my favorites. I will preface most of these for fun, i.e. budget isn’t a heavy criterion in my evaluation.

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The Apple-Epic Feud Goes to the Supreme Court Over a Question of Judicial Power

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This guest post by BC Law Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Daniel Lyons first appeared in the AEIdeas Blog.

In what has become an annual tradition, the last day of the Supreme Court term was marked by blockbuster opinions on several hot-button topics. But hidden among the resolution of this year’s cases was an interesting note about next year’s docket. The Court agreed to review a contempt order in Apple’s years-long antitrust fight with Epic Games. At the center of the fight is a deceptively technical question with a long history: How literally should courts read their own orders when policing fast-moving industries?

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Three Tips to Make Time for Yourself During School 

/ Alexandra Staller / Leave a comment

Now that the school year is over, I feel less guilty sharing all the things I do to entertain myself during the fall and spring semesters. Law school takes over our lives in ways we may not even recognize or feel, so giving yourself a break doing something you enjoy is so important. I hope one of my ideas will speak to you. Disclaimer: I would not recommend doing this in 1L unless you have amazing time management skills. 

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“Our Job Is Not to Simply Observe the Fire, but to Bring Warmth”

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The following is a lightly edited version of BC’s Law Student Association President Commencement speech, delivered on May 22 by Mike Jean-Louis ’26.

Good morning to our faculty, our staff, our families, our friends, and most importantly, the extraordinary Class of 2026. Forgive me, if my voice is a little wobbly, I’m a little nervous. You would think after three years of cold calls this wouldn’t phase me. But this feels a little different.

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How to Become a Genius!

/ Staniel Brutis / Leave a comment

With the last set of exams of my law school career approaching, I recall overhearing a conversation by two students stating that they wish they were geniuses. I completely agree. It would be nice to have a mind that reads a fact pattern once and spots every issue instantly while simultaneously drafting a well written IRAC (preferably IRAHNC) argument. Who wouldn’t want to join the Order of Coif without breaking a sweat? If this thought has creeped into your mind while you are outlining at 2 AM, don’t worry. I’ve done the research into becoming a genius and put it into practice for both of us. The answer lies in a three-step process that requires isolation, introspection, and creation. 

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