After my last exam, I took my usual walk home down Commonwealth Avenue, past Boston College’s main campus toward the quiet rows of Evergreen Cemetery. Winter had settled in, that strange season in Boston when night seems to arrive by three in the afternoon. The air had turned sharp, the kind of cold that still surprises a Floridian like myself, no matter how many winters I spend here. Out of the corner of my eye, a tall stone building caught the light of the moon and stood illuminated in the distance. I recognized it as Boston College’s McMullen Museum.
Continue readingMonth: December 2025
BC Law’s Mock Trial Team Wins Big at ‘Cambridge Clash’
The inaugural ‘Cambridge Clash’ competition—created this year by Harvard Law School’s Mock Trial Society—brought eight invite-only teams from around New England and New York (Albany, BC Law, two CUNY teams, Fordham, Harvard, New York Law, and Roger Williams) to Harvard’s campus in Cambridge for a weekend tournament in November. Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of BC Law’s Defenders Clinic Steven Van Dyke, who is also one of the coaches for BC Law’s Mock Trial team, writes about what happened next.
We were somewhere in the long series of tunnels under Harvard Law School, passing row after row of multi-colored lockers, when we realized that we were no longer hungry…for food. Laden with trial boxes, bags, stray sneakers and uneaten Cava meals, three members of our mock trial team headed towards the finals of the Cambridge Clash mock trial competition. It was too late for lunch and too soon for us to admit to ourselves that our goal was becoming a reality.
Continue readingThe Proof is in the Puffery: A Thanksgiving Story about Chiffon Cake
This Thanksgiving, our contribution to the feast was a pineapple chiffon cake. Chiffon is the French word for “cloth” and the cake’s name derives from its light and airy texture. After testing over 400 different recipes, the cake’s aptly named inventor, Harry Baker, discovered the magic formula by replacing butter with vegetable oil. He called the addition of vegetable oil, “a sixth sense, something cosmic.” Mr. Baker held tightly to that secret for 20 years before selling the recipe to General Mills in 1947. Ever-the-salesman, General Mills debuted the recipe with the moniker, “The first really new cake in 100 years.”
Continue readingFor the 1Ls from the 2Ls: Last Minute Exam Advice
It was not until I started my 2L year that I realized just how much I have grown since first walking into BC Law in August 2024. I feel like I lived 20 years in one, but I remember my first class––Critical Perspectives––like it happened a week ago.
In my short time as a 2L, I have been lucky enough to have two amazing mentees with whom I can grace with my law school wisdom. I also learned a lot from them about what it’s like being a 1L in 2025. Each year recruitment moves up, and more pressure is added to the exam period.
While I give all the student-experience advice I can to my 1Ls, I realize my experience is just that––mine. In law school, perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned so far is how individualized it is: students learn material differently, do readings differently, and prepare for exams differently. I asked 3 friends the same set of questions about their exam prep and for any advice to the 1Ls heading into their first exam season. They came from each of the Fall 2025 1L sections, and all performed well on their first exams.
Continue readingThe Real Reason to Become a Prosecutor
This guest post was written by 3L Alyssa Hatfield.
“Alyssa Hatfield on behalf of the Commonwealth.”
As introductions go, this one might be the most terrifying. What does it mean to represent the Commonwealth? To represent an entire group of people, the defendant included? It’s a heavy weight to bear, but it’s not meant to be borne alone.
This semester, I joined the Prosecution Clinic. As a part of the clinic, you learn a few things really fast. One: court moves really quickly. Like, really quickly. Two: how to swap stories like old-timers, because people commit some pretty odd crimes in some pretty odd ways that are ripe for class discussion. And three: to “do justice” might be the hardest and most unattainable mission to live by.
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BC Law: Impact 