Welcome Back, BC Law!

January 27, 2021 will always hold a special place in my heart. It marks my last first day of school ever! (Well, that’s the plan at least.)

We again find ourselves in hybrid mode, where larger classes are online and most smaller classes are in-person, with social distancing measures in place. We also are starting much later because of the school’s decision to cancel spring break. Needless to say, we have another unconventional semester ahead.

But as we kick off this semester, I wanted to reflect on some of the small things that I took for granted in pre-pandemic times that I hope return to BC Law as soon as possible:

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It’s Raining Mens Rea! Week 4: Singing in the Rain & Walk-Up Music Breakdown

What is the worst thing about law school softball? The fickle weather. Sometimes, while we’re playing outside, it rains. Maybe one day scientists will figure out how to control rainfall, and lawyers will have to argue that controlling rainfall is totally legal, but until then, rain will continue to figuratively dampen our spirits and literally dampen everything else on occasional Saturdays throughout the season.

Thankfully, a certain team has a name and a theme song tailor-made for persevering through such stormy conditions. Both came in handy this past Saturday, as It’s Raining Mens Rea easily dispensed with its opposition on a cold, wet morning, and in doing so earned itself a most satisfying victory dance to that most appropriate theme song at the end of the game.

The winning effort and its accompanying soundtrack highlighted the importance of developing and maintaining a positive attitude in the face of a tough situation. Is this a metaphor for law school or the practice of law? Maybe. But more importantly, it’s a great reason to analyze the X-factor of a great law school (softball) experience, the individual walk-up music each batter chooses to play as s/he approaches the plate for an at-bat. A breakdown of some choice cuts from the members of the Mens Rea roster follow the break, along of course with your weekly standings update.  Continue reading

Transferring to BC Law: “Getting to Legal Eagle”

Don’t be afraid, the grass really is greener. Being the new kid is never easy. It’s especially difficult when you walk into a new law school where everyone has already developed relationships that come along with surviving the grind of 1L.

As soon as I set foot in BC Law, I was embraced by a student body that genuinely wanted me to be here. Within my first week I was assigned a 3L “mentor” (Greg Steiner ’15) to show me the ropes and answer any question I had about the school. The best word of advice from Greg was to join a softball team. He placed me on a team with his friends called “Oliver Wendell Homies.” That was my opportunity to mingle with the 3L’s and get to know the social environment at BC better. IT WAS A BLAST. Like peanut butter and jelly, who doesn’t love softball and beer?

Softball

“Oliver Wendell Homies”

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It’s Raining Mens Rea! Week 3: Back on Track & Bonus 1L Team Name Rankings

Don’t call it a comeback! This past Saturday, the bent-but-not-broken It’s Raining Mens Rea reversed its losing ways with an emphatic 10-3 victory over 2L stalwarts Lawyers, Guns, Money.

We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves. But the win definitely called to mind a football game from October 5, 2014 that proved reports of the demise of a certain athletic powerhouse to be quite premature.  Details and a bonus breakdown of the newly unveiled 1L team names follow the break. Continue reading

It’s Raining Mens Rea! Week 1: The BC Law Softball League Returns

Being a lawyer is my second dream job. My first was succeeding Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, and Manny Ramirez in the long line of legendary Red Sox left fielders.

I’ve accepted the fact that I’ll never stand in the shadow of the Green Monster while raking in millions of dollars. But the BC Law Softball League helps me work towards my current dream job while coming as close as I possibly can to experiencing the original.

In this post, I’ll provide some background info about the way the league is organized and run. Then I’ll explain my team’s quest for redemption after a heartbreaking finish last year. Finally, I’ll include the results of this weekend’s games along with the standings, which I will try my best to update weekly until a new softball champion is crowned. Continue reading

A Letter to the Class of 2018 from the President of BC’s LSA

Editor’s Note: One of my very favorite parts of attending BC Law is the constant interaction with classmates who push you to be better. They motivate you to set goals that would have seemed unthinkable on the first day of 1L year, and inspire you to exceed even those heightened aspirations. Although she would never admit it herself, Lainey Sullivan is the living, breathing embodiment of this type of BC student. I reached out to Lainey and asked if she had the time to write a brief welcome letter to next year’s incoming students, and what she sent back blew me away. Per usual. Without further ado, I am very pleased to present…

Why I Will Miss BC Law and Why You Shouldn’t Miss the Chance to Be an Eagle

By Lainey Sullivan, President, Boston College Law Students Association

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