BC Law Magazine has been writing about what makes our community special for over thirty years. I always look forward to a new issue, and the Winter 2025 edition is full of stories of alumni, faculty, and students doing pretty amazing work that speaks to our mission of delivering justice all over the world.

I found the cover story, “Then Came the Reckoning,” particularly compelling. It was not an easy read, telling the story of alumna Erica Brody fighting for justice for a group of children abused by their foster parents, but the results were truly astonishing–literally changing the way the system works in Massachusetts. One of the most frightening things about the case was not just what happened in those foster homes (one in particular over many years), but how the state agency involved in placements actively worked to cover everything up. And until Erica and her team fought for change, the agency was pretty well protected by state law. Well worth the read, but we should offer a trigger warning for depictions of abuse of children. 

A story on the lighter side involves a profile of Michael Schiffer ’04 called “What a Character,” following a career path that began with acting before law school and then moved into litigation and marketing, landing him at Twitter before the Musk purchase and subsequent purge. What shines through in the profile is how well liked he is wherever he goes–perhaps there’s something to this emotional intelligence and human connection thing? To find out where he went next, give the story a read.

Other features include how so many alumni are leaders in sports law, and the latest book from one of our oldest living alumni Larry Ruttman called “Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians.” I also want to point out a profile on 3L Sam Hodgkins-Sumner and the crucial importance of our Public Interest Law Foundation’s summer stipend program, supporting student work in the public interest. Check that out here.

The entire issue is available online at lawmagazine.bc.edu! 

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Sangeeta Kishore is a second-year student at BC Law and president of the Impact blog. Contact her at kishorsa@bc.edu.