torts

Turkey, Torts, and Turmoil: Happy 1L Thanksgiving!  

/ Sydney Byun / Leave a comment

Last week, amidst the frenzy of trying to finish my final memo, I crafted what I thought to be a fantastic plan for the upcoming Thanksgiving break: lock myself in my apartment until I develop a miraculous understanding of the rules of civil procedure, frantically apply for as many jobs as humanly possible, and purchase a pumpkin pie to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Now that I’ve submitted my memo and the initial mania has subsided somewhat, I can tell that the overconsumption of pie is likely the only realistic part of that plan. This is the paradox of Thanksgiving break for law students—on one hand, everyone is relieved to have some time off. On the other, it doesn’t really feel like a break with the looming threat of finals hanging over all of us. 

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Trick or Treat! Halloween’s Age-Old Contract

/ Staniel Brutis / Leave a comment

Dressing up as an iconic character from a coveted television show, film, or book is a cherished tradition of the internationally celebrated holiday, Halloween. This day brings excitement and joy to not just children, but to grown up law students as well. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”), a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. The pagan holiday gained its notoriety in the Catholic religious tradition when, in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints. Over time, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain. From this, the evening before All Saints Day became known as All Hallows Eve, and later, Halloween.

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Five Christmas Songs as Law School Classes

/ Sangeeta Kishore / Leave a comment

While it may be finals season, it is also the holiday season. And what better way to spread some holiday cheer (and fight some finals fear) than with Christmas songs as law school classes. 

Torts: “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer”

A classic Christmas tort. Wonder how the reindeer is going to pay for those compensatory damages. 

Family Law: “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

Mommy may need a divorce lawyer pretty soon. Hopefully her prenup didn’t have an enforceable infidelity clause. 

Contracts: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

He’s making his offers and he’s checking them twice. If you’re nice, you’re getting a gift – a promise with consideration? 

Property: “12 Days of Christmas” 

Three french hens, two turtle doves, the property interests are growing by the day! 

Criminal Law: “Baby It’s Cold Outside” 

Once described as “an ode to statutory rape,” controversy around this carol has prompted a more consensual rewrite by John Legend and Kelly Clarkson.

Sangeeta Kishore is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact her at kishorsa@bc.edu.

How Law School Altered My Viewing of Moonrise Kingdom

/ Haley Cole / Leave a comment

With four weeks of 1L classes under my belt, I can affirmatively say that this whole law school experience is quite transformative. The time leading up to my first class (29 days ago!) was marked by a dizzying amount of unsolicited advice from upperclassmen, lawyers, professors, and family. Within the advice on how to not have a mental breakdown or flunk out of school was the idea that law school will change how you see the world. Reflecting on my 4-week long stint so far, I have already seen the relevance of this in my life. 

I recently found myself re-watching old favorite movies to decompress from the long law school days (there is seemingly no escape from the lessons learned in the classroom; I found myself saying under my breath “that’s a tort” as I watched characters on screen act negligently). One of my favorite films I recently rewatched is Moonrise Kingdom, which is set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s. Our protagonists, Suzy and Sam, are two twelve-year-olds who fall in love and run away from home. In typical Wes Anderson style, a series of obtuse events follows as the residents of their town search for the pair. Through my new legal lens, I rewatched this Anderson favorite with fresh thoughts to share.  

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Law School Core Classes as Tatte Desserts

/ Reilly Doak / Leave a comment

Tatte Bakery & Cafe is a Boston staple– with a location less than one mile from the Law School, it’s one of my favorite places to catch up with friends, splurge on a fancy coffee, treat myself to a baked pick-me-up, or do a little bit of reading with a change of scenery.

To give prospective law students an idea of what classes are like and current law students a sweet reprieve from their post-Spring Break deluge of work, I have assigned each legal core class a Tatte pastry that I feel most represents it. If your favorite class didn’t make the list, feel free to add it in the comments!

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Riding Off in Style: A Student Tribute to Professor Catharine Wells 

/ Ismail (Izzy) Ercan / 3 Comments

BC Law lost one of its giants a few weeks ago as Professor Catharine Wells passed away over spring break. She was a graceful, thoughtful, and yet commanding presence at the Law School. While there was a lovely tribute piece to her from BC Law Magazine, which included many quotes and stories from her former colleagues, there has not been a tribute from those she impacted most over her decades-long career: her students. I wanted to include some quotes and stories from students, present and past, who could properly convey what type of a person, leader, educator–and most of all human being–Professor Wells was, and what she meant to them. 

The idea came to me as I walked by her old office in the East Wing the other day. I noticed a small bouquet sitting outside of her door. It wasn’t an over-the-top assortment of flowers, but it still caught my attention because of how much it reminded me of Professor Wells. It stood there in a kind of dignified, not in-your-face type of way. Its grace reminded me of a particular scene from my 1L year that I still remember fondly, and now with some sadness, of course. 

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The Case of the Drunken Sailor

/ Alex Bou-Rhodes / Leave a comment

One night in the 1960’s, a Coast Guard sailor, whose ship was in port for repairs, came stumbling back to the vessel in, to use the words of the judge, “the condition for which seamen are famed.” His ship was in a dry-dock, a floating tub of water which is drained once the ship is inside so that repairs to the hull can be made. The sailor, buoyed by drink, tried his hand at the dry-dock control wheels, letting in water which eventually caused the boat and dry-dock to partially sink. The dry-dock owners sued the government for the money damages the sailor’s actions caused, and the government eventually had to foot the bill. Continue reading →