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 readingStudent Life
Take 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 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 readingOne Genuinely Good Thing: The PILF Auction
If you’ve ever watched The Good Place, you know how hard it is to do a genuinely good thing. And for those of you who haven’t seen the show…it’s hard. Really, really hard. Because the world just doesn’t work that way. Neither does goodness. A genuinely good thing is like the perfect seating chart at a wedding; it doesn’t exist. Or if it does, only in theory, and never in practice.
But…
I have a genuinely good thing for you. A top-to-bottom, high-quality, solid gold good thing. No strings, caveats, codicils, amendments, addendums, or restrictions. Just a good thing; and a good time. A Night Of Jazz. Why? Because A Night Of Jazz is the theme for the 36th annual Public Interest Law Foundation auction in support of PILF’s summer stipends program, and that is a genuinely good thing.
Continue readingFive Things to Consider When Choosing a Law School
Deciding whether to go to law school can be a challenging question, but even after you make up your mind, you still have to decide where to go to law school – and that can be even more difficult. This is especially true for people who have jobs or other commitments that may prevent them from touring campuses before applying. Given that there are around 200 law schools in the United States, here are some factors to consider that can help you narrow your options.
Location
Listing location as a factor may seem obvious, but it is still worth mentioning. Where your school is located not only affects your experience as a law student, but also your career after graduation. This is because most schools have the strongest job prospects within their respective regions. While more prestigious schools can afford their students more nationwide opportunities, access to nearby networks of alumni and other attorneys still increases the odds of finding a job locally. Of course, this is not the case for everyone, so don’t panic if you don’t know where you want to work yet – I certainly didn’t when I was applying.
There are also non-career factors to consider like housing options, proximity to family and friends, and generally what kind of lifestyle you want while in law school. Part of the reason I chose BC was because it is located just outside of Boston, providing easy city access without the immediate hustle-and-bustle, and it allowed me to stay close to my family and friends in the Northeast. It was only after I decided I wanted those things that I looked more closely at job placements and other career-related factors to make my final decision.
Continue readingValentine’s Day Playlist: Black History Edition
Happy Valentine’s Day, and importantly, Happy Black History Month!
Since 1976, U.S. presidents have recognized February as Black History Month. February’s historical designation makes it a time to celebrate African American and Black people’s voices, cultures, adversities, and triumphs.
Though Black people in the United States have a resilient history of fighting the forces of racial injustice prior to the Civil Rights Movement, the American Civil Rights Movement is formally acknowledged as a period in the 1950’s and 60’s. This period was marked by historical moments such as the Brown v. Board of Education case decision, Rosa Park’s school bus arrest, and the March on Washington – to name a few. The Civil Rights Movement prompted the passing of two pivotal pieces of legislation, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Black musicians continued contributing to their art. In honor of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, enjoy this playlist of love songs by Black artists from the Civil Rights Movement era.
- Only You – The Platters (1956)
- In the Still of the Night – The Five Satins (1956)
- When I Fall in Love – Nat King Cole (1956)
- You Send Me – Sam Cooke (1957)
- My Baby Just Cares for Me – Nina Simone (1959)
- At Last – Etta James (1960)
- Won’t Be Long – Aretha Franklin (1960)
- Part Time Love – Gladys Knight & The Pips (1961)
- Careless Love – Ray Charles (1962)
- Then He Kissed Me – The Crystals (1963)
- Be My Baby – The Ronettes (1963)
- Together – Marvin Gaye featuring Mary Wells (1964)
- Your Wonderful Love – The Temptations (1964)
- My Girl – The Temptations (1964)
- Stop in the Name of Love – The Supremes (1965)
Happy Black History Month, happy Valentine’s Day, and happy listening!
Haley Cole is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact her at colehc@bc.edu.
Mentors: Who Needs ‘Em? (Hint: You)
Being a law student means you’re constantly feeling like you’re missing something, feeling like you have something due in a week or a final looming over the horizon of the semester. And when everything is so chaotic, it’s easy to forget that your legal career will consist of much more than the grade you get on your torts final.
As a 3L looking back on my law school journey, one thing I never knew would be so integral in my career development was mentorship. For 1L me, mentorship was merely a buzzword that was thrown around with no actual instructions on how to cultivate such a relationship. In fact, when you’re a 1L, you don’t really have the luxury to think about anything other than briefing cases for the next day—and therefore, I believed mentorship to be a chore, an extracurricular on top of everything else I had to do. I never anticipated that it would be one of my favorite parts of the legal journey.
Continue reading1L Interviews: How to Sell Your Story in 20 Minutes or Less
The most industrious Common Poorwill, a nocturnal bird native to North America, will only hibernate for one month before once again starting its daily habit of hunting moths, grasshoppers, and beetles. So too does the North American law student awaken from their month-long winter break to re-initiate their habits of daily readings, writings, and cold-calls. But the inexperienced 1L also faces a peculiar challenge upon their return: the law school interview.
Just as the prudent squirrel buries nuts for the winter, the thoughtful law student heeds the call of their Career Services Office to send out applications before winter break. Similar to the forgetful squirrel’s nut budding into a strong oak, the forgetful law student’s application can turn into a fruitful 20-minute interview. However, how much ground can be covered in 20 minutes? How simple is it to sell yourself as a professional in an industry you’ve only formally joined three months ago?
Continue reading5 Simple Recipes to Get You Through Law School
Law school can zap away your time in a way unlike most other things. Below, I’ve included 5 of my favorite simple recipes that I can throw together with just a little bit of preparation and that make for a great dinner or a delicious leftover lunch — and [in my unexpert opinion] are nutritionally sound enough to fuel you for the long class days and intense readings.
Read on…
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BC Law: Impact 