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.
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 readingMy first introduction to podcasts was in my AP Biology class years ago. The science podcast, Radiolab, was full of wonder and fed my curiosity. It felt personal, like telling a story. And I could tune in wherever I was, while I did whatever I was doing.
Many years later, I’ve listened to podcasts about all sorts of things: fashion, foreign policy, even wellness. But now, in my first year of law school, I’ve been using podcasts as a way to explore the legal landscape beyond the dense casebooks. And there is no better full-circle moment for me than a Radiolab spin-off, More Perfect.
Continue readingThe Law Student Association is selling Halloween wristbands, so Spooky Season is officially upon us. If you’re scrambling for last-minute costume ideas, have no fear. These are classroom and bar crawl appropriate outfits that will set you apart from everyone else who decides to be Elle Woods or a Supreme Court Justice.
Lexis Nexis Representative
Needs:
Stand outside the Law Library with a folding table for maximum costume authenticity. Since you’ll likely have most of these costume materials in your backpack, this costume can be assembled in less than five minutes on your way to class.
Continue readingBefore attending BC Law, I had spent next to zero time in New England. Years ago, I remembered listening to the song When Fall Comes to New England by Cheryl Wheeler on car rides with my dad. Once I came to Boston, I was determined to ensure that I could sing along after graduating without feeling like a fraud. As I finish my final semester here, I want to have no regrets about enjoying New England’s fall.
Continue readingI’ve only been in law school for a few weeks, and I’ve already been confronted with my biggest fear: the cold call. It’s unlikely that I’m alone in this. Like many of us, my initial visions of law school came from that scene in Legally Blonde where Elle was publicly shamed by the professor and kicked out of the classroom, with even the overachieving readers of Aristotle riddled with fear.
The film’s exaggerations aside, I still felt daunted by the idea of entering a law school class. I won’t deny the panic I felt seeing the dreaded phrase on nearly every syllabus. “Why can’t I just answer when I feel like answering?” I could already picture it in my head: doing all the readings, knowing the cases front to back, and still freezing up the moment I get called on. It seemed like beyond all preparation, my mortification was inevitable.
Continue readingBarrister’s Ball is one for the books, and I’m not talking about casebooks. Informally known as “law prom,” Barrister’s Ball is a night where everyone gets dressed to the nines and dances away the stresses of law school. This year, it was hosted at the Museum of Science. It was such a fun venue. Dinosaurs photobombed pictures, lightning (safely) struck two of our classmates, and we danced under Mars.
As a 3L, I felt sentimental about the night. This was one of the last times I would be with everyone before graduating and leaving Boston College. It made me feel like a senior in high school all over again. The anticipation building up to this event was full of excitement and glee: picking out an outfit, getting ready, and asking someone to prom. It all felt juvenile, but in the very best way. Now, even though “law prom” is over, that sentimental feeling remains.
Continue readingWhen I was applying, I brought my wife to Admitted Students’ Day. It was a Big Deal. We both dressed up. She sat with me through the mock class. We had lunch together in the cafeteria. She came to the panels, went on the tour, and generally learned as much about law school as I did. It was a good day. A really good day. And though I learned a great deal, I still wanted to know: what’s law school really like? How do people dress for class? Is cold-calling really as bad as it seems? Will I make friends? Are the professors like Kingston in The Paper Chase? That kind of thing.
I think what I was looking for was the law school equivalent of those really detailed product reviews on Amazon that you just kinda trust. You know the type. The reviewer always sounds like they really want to like the product, but they’re just not sure. They go over the results of their research. They compare models. And they’re always weirdly specific about little things: “yeah, I ran the Samurai Slicer on full speed. Noticed a slight wobble, but that’s pretty standard on models like this one that use a polymer base instead of steel.” It sounds authentic. It sounds real.
Where was that for BC Law? Not the HR presentation, not the Tour Talk, but the weirdly specific Amazon review. Well, guess what? It’s right here. So after you unsubscribe from the r/lawschooladmissions subreddit and join r/lawschool, take a moment to yourself, crack open a Success Beer, and read on to find out what BC Law is really like…
Continue reading“Hype yourself up, before you psych yourself out!” These are the words that I constantly yell at my peers . . . in the spin room. This past August, I became a certified spin instructor. My decision to become a spin instructor was encouraged by my classmate Ben Minerva. Ben knew that I was going to spin classes daily and questioned why I did not just become an instructor. Fast forward after months of training and making playlists, and I have been teaching spin classes at Boston College’s Margot Connell Recreation Center four times a week.
The highlights of my week have often been filled with moments from my spin classes. Spin has acted like a safe haven for me from the stresses that come with being a law student. Someone once told me that the feeling of being nervous is identical to the feeling of being excited. I use my spin classes as a way to channel my law school fueled nerves into the exciting energy that comes with teaching a spin class. My spin classes have also been a space where I have grown so much as a person. I learned how to find and use my voice, how to troubleshoot problems on the spot, and how to build trust and rapport quickly with those who barely know me. All of these lessons, in my opinion, are transferable to my legal career.
Continue readingEach February, The Law Student Association holds a beloved annual tradition at BC Law: ski trip. Dozens of students head to the mountains in Killington, Vermont, to bunk up together in condos and hit the slopes before finding great restaurants and bars at night to socialize.
This year, we featured the ski trip on our brand new TikTok channel. Check that out–and all the rest of our great content on the channel!
Go to @bclawonline for more TikTok content from BC Law, from faculty talking about the latest legal news to a day-in-the-life of students.
The Impact Blog is launching a new spotlight series focused on local foods! We believe that one of the most important features of an area is the food, and no one should need to search far for good options. We’ll provide critiques and reviews of foods in the immediate Newton area surrounding the BC Law campus. Not all establishments are made equal, so whether you’re planning on coming to BC Law or just recently moved to the area, we’ll try all the local spots so you don’t have to.
Our first review turns to an American staple that doesn’t receive the credit it deserves. An often overlooked, taken for granted, carb-y snack: BAGELS!
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