BC Law officially kicked off Diversity Month with the “Taste of Diversity.” The event offers an opportunity for students to interact and sample food from the different affinity groups. Prior to the event, LSA President Nirav Bhatt ’16 said, “Every year students are excited for the tasty food and thought-provoking conversations that arise during the buffet style event. I’m looking forward to it!” Indeed, it’s an event that students have been talking about for weeks leading up to it. We all know students love free food, especially quality food!
culture
Meet the Affinity Group Leaders: Moussa Hassoun (Lambda Co-Chair)
This new “Meet the” series introduces you to the diverse affinity student group leaders on campus.
Name: Moussa Hassoun
Year: 2017 (2L)
Organization & Position:
Lambda: Co-Chair
Undergraduate Institution:
Bentley University
Experiences between college and law school:
I went straight through from Bentley to BC Law. In between I worked for Liberty Mutual as a Product Analyst.
Favorite event that your organization plans:
The Lambda Annual Retreat is a special one. Students get away from the chaos of law school and get a chance to relax and get to know one another. Relaxation is one of the most undervalued needs all students should make time for. The retreat provides that opportunity and allows LGBTQ+ students to develop a community at the law school.
Things You Wish You Had Gone To: The John and Abigail Adams Benefit
I have the honor of hosting a guest blog from Caroline Reilly, a 1L in the class of 2018 at BC. Caroline is a former journalism major who plans to go into public interest work/human rights/womens rights, and is one of the many 1Ls this year that made the awesome decision to attend the John and Abigail Adams “Night at the Museum” event sponsored by the Boston Bar this past weekend. For more information about Caroline’s experience at the event, as a BC Law student, or just in general, you can get in touch with her at reillycw@bc.edu.
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The “Night at the Museum” movies are some of my favorite feel-good flicks. I love the idea of sleuthing around the museum (easily one of my favorite places any time of day) after-hours when the general public has retreated and the art is in a more rarely- and exclusively-seen state. So, when one of my friends forwarded the email promoting the John & Abigail Adams Benefit to members of our little “law school family,” I jumped on the opportunity, despite my habitual insistence on indulging my homebody inclinations on weekends.
Opening Act II: A Twenty-Year Reunion
Hello everyone! This week, I’m hosting a guest blog from Tom Burton ‘96, the new Alumni Association President. I’m thrilled that he has agreed to write about his BC Law experience for Impact.
Tom chairs Mintz Levin’s Energy Technology Practice, which he founded over 12 years ago. His global practice focuses on complex corporate finance matters including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, and securities transactions for energy and clean technology companies. He is ranked by Best Lawyers in America in the Corporate Law section, and he has been recognized by The Legal 500 United States as “rising to the fore” in energy technology for Venture Capital and Emerging Companies. In the community, Tom serves as President of the Boston College Law School Alumni Association, Chairman of the Board of Overseers and Trustee of the New England Aquarium and an Advisory Committee Member of the Flutie Spectrum Enterprises, LLC. Tom is also a member of the firm’s Policy Committee, its Board of Directors equivalent.
Twenty years. For quite a few of you reading this post, twenty years is nearly a lifetime. For me, and for my classmates from ’96, it marks the halfway point in our careers. Our upcoming twenty-year reunion in November has given me pause to reflect on that slightly sobering fact, and to think about my BC Law friends and classmates. What strikes me the most are their tremendous professional successes across the board.
The Conservative Legal Movement and the Importance of Intellectual Diversity in Law
“I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve.”
-Charles de Montesquieu
I’m James Barasch, a 1L and I’m pleased to be joining Impact! I used to run a book review column and blog during my time at Tufts University, and I thought I’d continue that tradition here at BC Law.
Over Winter Break, in between holiday celebrations and summer job ponderings, I relaxed by reading “The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement: The Battle for Control of the Law” by Steven M. Teles. Starting in the 1970s, Conservatives sought to reverse the growth of legal liberalism by focusing on creating their own corps of professionals in law schools, public interest groups, and in the judiciary. Teles relates the story of political experimentation and individual innovators who organized and led this countermovement to significant successes and the prominent place many of its organizations, such as the Federalist Society, the Center for Individual Rights, and the Institute for Justice now hold in modern American legal culture.
A Mutual Respect: The Glue that Binds Us
Hello everyone! This week, I’m hosting a guest blog from Margie Palladino ’85, the outgoing Alumni Board Chair for Reunions. I’m thrilled that she’s agreed to write about her BC Law experience for Impact.
Margie was the recipient of the Boston College Law School’s Outstanding Reunion Volunteer Award for generating record attendance for her class’s 25th reunion. Margie is principal of Reunions Reinvented LLC, a business that generates momentum for professional school reunions. She is a former partner at the Boston law firm of Sherburne, Powers and Needham, now known as Holland and Knight.
Nearly 600 people came together in November to celebrate the BC Law School reunions. It was wonderful to witness so many alumni—young and old—reconnecting with classmates and professors and rekindling memories of their law school days. There were BC Law alumni from all walks of life: the judiciary, private firms, corporations, public service, academia, and government (including a state governor, US senator, and several congressional representatives). Equally impressive was the number of alumni present who had stepped out of the legal profession temporarily or permanently to take care of their families or pursue entrepreneurial, volunteer, and other valued interests.
Yes, We Go to School Sponsored Social Events: Halloween Party
Last year Halloween party was at Game On. I remember it as yet another fun night, similar to Boat Cruise, spent dancing and bonding with 1L friends. Halloween Party generally marks the transition from I’m just trying to keep up with my reading to I should start making my outlines. This LSA social event is thus very important. It is what you will look back on fondly when you’re day dreaming in the library in December and wondering if you have had any fun this year. Because of Halloween Party, you can answer your question with a resounding yes!
Another reason Halloween is an important BC law event: it signifies an important friendship milestone. Friends who are comfortable enough to dress up in crazy costumes and dance together, stay together. (Even once your costume changes from scary witch to scary, sleep deprived law student!) This year’s Halloween Party at Wild Rover was another successful event for the LSA special events committee, complete with the Peanuts, Lobsters, The Weeknd, A male Sandy & female Danny, Peter Pan, Ruth Bader Ginspurrg, Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole (Parks & Rec), Bob’s Burgers, Gotham villains, Donald Trump and many more!
Everyone did such an amazing job with their costumes and instagram photos, the Social Media Committee had a difficult task in choosing the winners!
1L Winner: The Royal Tenenbaums
https://www.instagram.com/p/9e_OWqhw57/
Read on to see who won 1st and 2nd place!
Yes, We Go to School Sponsored Social Events: Boat Cruise
When I was researching where to go to law school, many online resources referred to Boston College Law School as the “Disney World of Law Schools.” What does that mean? I remember thinking. In general, BC Law was known (in the cyber world at least) for having students who are nice to each other. I figured, if it’s the Disney World of Law Schools, maybe it will be kind of… fun?
To my elation, the analogy is apt. BC Law is fun. One of my favorite parts of BC from the beginning has been that the School, usually through the Law Students Association, throws social events. And, more importantly, people actually go to them.
1L: Boat Cruise 2014
I was having a conversation with a fellow 2L last week. “I was talking to some of the 1Ls and they asked, what’s the big deal with this Boat Cruise? Do people actually go to that? And I said: Yes! Everyone goes.” The line for tickets on the last day was at least 50 people long.
Remember “The Why”: A Letter from the Alumni Board President
Editor’s Note: Kevin Curtin is the Boston College Law School Alumni Board President and a member of the BC Law Class of ’88. He is Senior Appellate Counsel/Grand Jury Director at the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. He has tried approximately 100 jury cases and handled over 100 criminal appeals. Mr. Curtin is also an instructor in the Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop and a faculty member of the national trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law. He is also an adjunct faculty member at BC Law. All of us at Impact are pleased to be able to host his guest blog post.
Commencement is a time for remembering why you chose to become a lawyer. That idea was reflected in the remarks of this year’s Commencement speaker, Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach David Simas, BC Law ‘95. Dean Vincent Rougeau talked about it. It was also mentioned by Class President Lainey Sullivan ’15 (who recently committed to join the office of Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan ’79).
Coincidence? Maybe.
But what about this? Dean Rougeau, University President Father William P. Leahy, David Simas and Lainey Sullivan also spoke about something else: the idea of a tradition shared in common with those who have come before them. Something that makes Boston College Law School special—an essential bond that cannot be seen, but which is continuously affirmed as true.
Things I Wish I Knew, Vol. 8: The best way to prepare for law school this summer
…is to not prepare at all.
Dear Class of 2018, you have struggled through the undergraduate battleground, you finished a post-bachelor degree, or maybe you’ve summoned the courage to work AND apply to law school, and you’re positively ravenous for any advice on how to best prepare yourself for what lies ahead of you.
I have only three words for you: Treat. Yo. Self.
For those of you unfamiliar with NBC’s Parks and Recreation, no worries – you have the entire summer with which to make yourself familiar. But for old fans of Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford, Treat Yo’ Self 2015 (aka, now until right around August 20th) should be spent on you.
BC Law: Impact 