Last month, as part of BC Law’s Immigration Clinic, my clinic partner and I advocated for our client’s release from detention during a bond hearing in front of an immigration judge, and were denied. Given his circumstances of indefinite long-term incarceration and mental illness, this denial was heartbreaking and unjust in more ways than one. I dreaded making the call to my client to discuss the outcome of the hearing and our next steps. I expected to hear intense sadness and frustration, and I certainly would not have blamed him if he took part of that out on me. But instead – though he was undeniably sad – he told me that my argument was perfect and exactly what he would have wanted to say if he were able to speak during the hearing. He expressed his gratitude for all our hard work and representation, despite the outcome. Of all the responses I imagined, this perhaps shocked me the most.
Continue reading‘A Culture of Excellence, Dialogue, and Integrity: Q&A with LLM Student Shrishti
Get to know Boston College Law School from the perspective of our current student, Shrishti, who is concentrating on Intellectual Property and whose home country is India:
What motivated you to pursue an LLM, and why did you choose this particular program?
I pursued an LLM to expand my global legal perspective and gain a deeper understanding of U.S. legal frameworks. BC Law stood out for its strong academic tradition, commitment to ethical leadership, and its inclusive approach to integrating international students into the fabric of the law school. I wanted a program that was both intellectually rigorous and personally transformative — and BC Law delivered.
Continue readingHow (Bad) Movies Helped Me Survive Finals
“Whoever a werewolf imprints on can’t be harmed. It’s their most absolute law.” ― Edward Cullen in Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1
The stress of law school finals can humble even the most confident students. It distills months of study, outlining, and class participation into one exam to determine your mastery of the material. It all comes down to a few hours in a classroom. It’s daunting, overwhelming, and, even at times, exhilarating.
Continue readingWhat I Learned About Endurance by Running the BC Law 5k
If you read my athletic resume, my various positions would tell you I do not like distance running. Playing forward on the high school field hockey team? Sprinting. Downhill skiing? If you’re an east coast skier like me, it is sprinting. Softball catcher? I sprint to first base when I am at bat. Speed was always my better strength, not endurance.
So, what convinced me to sign up for the BC Law 5k? It was something fun to work towards at the end of the year aside from my finals and the law review write on. But mostly, I wanted to conquer and build my endurance rather than run from it.
Continue readingSeeing What Sticks: Trial and Error in Law School
For many law students, a consistent record of success follows them. A high undergraduate GPA, strong LSAT scores, and glowing recommendations make it seem like aptitude is a given and success is inevitable. Nevertheless, the heavier and harsh realities of law school quickly tear apart fanciful notions of an easy-breezy life. But if there was ever a place to fail, law school would be the place.
Let me explain.
Continue readingLawlessness and Trump’s Lawyers
BC Law Professor R. Michael Cassidy serves as Chair of the Board of Bar Overseers in Massachusetts. The views expressed in this essay do not represent an official position of the Board, or of BC Law. This op-ed originally ran in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
Events since January 20, 2025 have called into question the ability of attorneys to safeguard the rule of law. President Donald Trump has sought retribution against law firms that previously opposed him or represented the Democratic National Committee. He has called for the impeachment of federal judges who issued orders against him, labelling one of them a “radical left judge” and a “lunatic.” He has commenced an investigation into law firms that engage in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Most recently, he called upon Department of Justice lawyers to refer for discipline any lawyer who opposes a Trump policy on grounds the DOJ alone deems frivolous or unfounded.
Continue readingConfronting Anxiety As A Law Student: An Existential Approach
I. INTRODUCTION
As a law student, I am confident that we are all familiar with anxiety, an invisible entity that has psychological and physiological effects upon the individual in whom it arises. It causes us to experience fear and trembling in moments where opportunity and possibility are the ripest. Chronic or severe anxiety can manifest in the form of emotional distress, obsessive thinking, compulsive behaviors, relational struggles, and general restlessness. Anxiety often carries a negative connotation due to these effects. However, in this essay, I’d like to offer a different perspective on anxiety, a perspective that diminishes anxiety to a mere nothing while simultaneously promoting it as the most transformative feeling an individual can experience. An absurd paradox.
Continue readingGet to Know Us: Teaching and Research Librarians
This guest post is by BC Law’s Teaching and Research Librarians.
You know to go to CSO with your career planning questions. Student Services to iron out your schedule. And of course Legal Grounds when you need that afternoon energy boost. But where do you go when you have a question about research at BC Law?
We are the Teaching and Research Librarians of BC Law, and we are here to save you so much time.
Continue readingFrom Financial Restructuring to Transactional Law: Meet Carlos Robles-Cruz
There are numerous roads to law school, and no one-size fits all path to a successful legal career. Follow along with our series highlighting BC Law students and how they got here!
Our first six entries were with Sara Womble, from Winston Salem, NC, Elias Massion, who comes from Nashville, TN and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Samina Gagné from London and Columbia University, Alvin Synarong from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Princeton, Ruchita Jain from Edina, Minnesota and Boston University, and Nicole Bauer from Michigan and Stanford University.
Name: Carlos Robles-Cruz
Hometown: Puerto Rico
Educational Background: B.S., Finance and Accounting, Boston College, Carroll School of Management; M.S., Accounting, Boston College, Carroll School of Management
The Five Best Bookstores You Have to Visit
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and while I’m not pulling my hair out over the prospect of finals, I’m thinking wistfully about summer plans. Not a vacation, no – I’m thinking of the 48 hours I will have every week, free of assigned readings and impeding cold calls.
The perfect amount of time to visit one of the city’s many bookstores. For those of you who will be in Boston this summer, here’s a small guide.
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BC Law: Impact