Program Instructors
Learn more about Boston University School of Law's experienced legal research and writing instructors.
Daniel W. Ahearn
Mr. Ahearn is a 1982 cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School. While in law school, he was an editor of the Suffolk University Law Review. Mr. Ahearn practices disability, special education, and children's law. In addition to teaching Children & Disability Law at Suffolk University Law School, he counsels law students in the Harvard Law School’s Office of Public Interest Advising. He chairs the annual MCLE Special Education Seminar and School Law Basics Seminar and has written numerous articles on special education law for legal periodicals and educational journals. Mr. Ahearn has clerked for United States Court of Claims Judge Robert Yock and has served as a Senior Attorney at the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and as a Senior Attorney at the Disability Law Center in Boston. He also was the past director of the Bureau of Special Education Appeals in Massachusetts. Mr. Ahearn currently works in the education field at the Landmark School. He received a B.A. from the University of Rochester and an M.A. in Education from Tufts University, and is a member of Phi Delta Kappa. Mr. Ahearn has taught in the Writing Program for eighteen years.
Michael R. Bernardo
Mr. Bernardo is a 2000 graduate of the law school. As a law student, he served as Articles Editor for the Journal of Science and Technology Law. He was also winner of the Best Brief Award in the Albers Honors Moot Court Competition. After graduating, he worked as an associate at Bowditch & Dewey in Worcester, MA. From 2003 until 2010, he worked at Conn, Kavanaugh, Rosenthal, Piesch & Ford in Boston, specializing in employment law. He is now Labor & Employment Counsel at Boston Medical Center. Mr. Bernardo received his B.A., with honors, from Union College. This will be his second year in the program.
Beth Bookwalter
Ms. Bookwalter received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Law School in 1999. As a law student, she served as a Teaching Assistant in the First Year Writing Program and as a member of the Boston University Law Review. After graduating, she worked as an associate at Hale and Dorr in Boston. She is now Counsel at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, the successor to Hale and Dorr. Ms. Bookwalter received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Bucknell University. She will be co-teaching a writing seminar with Eric Levin. This will be her third year as an instructor.
Holly Jane Caldwell
Ms. Caldwell received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Duke University School of Law in 2002. As a law student, she was a member of the Order of the Coif and Articles Editor for the Duke Law Journal. After graduating, she served as law clerk to United States District Court Judge Robert E. Keeton. Since 2003, she has worked as an associate at Ropes & Gray in Boston. Ms. Caldwell received her A.B. from Brown University. This will be her second year as an instructor.
Elizabeth E. Feeherry
Ms. Feeherry received her J.D., cum laude, from the Law School in 2007. While a law student, she was a Teaching Assistant for the Writing Program. Ms. Feeherry also served as Senior Note Development Editor for the Boston University Law Review. After graduating, she worked as an associate with Ropes & Gray in Boston. In February 2010, she joined the firm of Murphy & Riley in Boston. Ms. Feeherry received her A.B. from Bowdoin College. This will be her second year as an instructor.
Rebecca M. Ginzburg
Ms. Ginzburg received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Law School in 2004. As a law student, she served as Note Editor for the Boston University Law Review and as a Teaching Assistant for the First Year Writing Program. From 2004 to 2007, she worked at Ropes & Gray in New York and Boston. From 2007 to 2010, Ms. Ginzburg has worked in the Office of the General Counsel of Harvard University. Since then she has worked at the Boston University Office of the General Counsel. Ms. Ginzburg received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Amherst College. She received an enthusiastic recommendation from David Potter, a former Writing Instructor and Law School graduate. This will be her fourth year as an instructor.
Scott Katz
Mr. Katz received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Law School in 2002. While a law student, he was a member of the Boston University Law Review. After graduating, Mr. Katz worked at Goodwin Procter in Boston. Since 2005, he has worked in the Appellate Division of the Criminal Bureau of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. Mr. Katz received his B.A. from the University of Michigan. This will be his fifth year as an instructor.
John Koss
Mr. Koss received his J.D., cum laude, from the Law School in 2005. As a law student, he served as a Teaching Assistant for the First Year Writing Program. Since graduating, he has worked as an associate at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo in Boston. Mr. Koss received a B.A. in Hispanic Studies and an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University. This will be his fourth year as an instructor.
Timothy A. Landry
Mr. Landry received his J.D. from Boston College Law School in 2007. As a student, he was a member of the Boston College Law Review. After graduating, he served as law clerk to Justice Christopher J. Armstrong of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. From September 2008 to March 2010, he worked at Sullivan and Worcester in Boston. In June 2010, he began working as an Assistant Regional Counsel for the Social Security Administration in Boston. Mr. Landry received his B.A. from Boston College. This will be his second year as an instructor.
Eric Levin
Mr. Levin received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Law School in 1998. As a law student, he was a member of the Boston University Law Review. After graduating, Mr. Levin served as the Law Clerk for the Honorable Ellen Bree Burns of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. From 1999 to 2007, Mr. Levin worked as an associate, and then Junior Partner and Counsel, at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Since May 2007, he has been a partner at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder in Boston. Mr. Levin received a B.S. from the University of Connecticut School of Business and an M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Hartford. Prior to attending law school, he worked as a special education teacher in the West Hartford, Connecticut public schools. He will be co-teaching a writing seminar with Beth Bookwalter for the third time this year.
Kathleen Luz
Ms. Luz received her J.D., with honors, from the George Washington University Law Center in 1999. As a law student, she was a member of the George Washington Journal of International Law and Economics, and published a Note in the Journal. She also served as a Dean’s Fellow in the Legal Research and Writing Program and as a Member of the Moot Court Board. After graduating, she worked at Goodwin Procter in Boston, specializing in white collar crime, products liability and commercial litigation. During her time at Goodwin, she spent six months as a Special Assistant District Attorney in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. After becoming a partner at Goodwin, Ms. Luz left full-time employment in 2010 to care for her children. Ms. Luz received her B.A., cum laude, from Dartmouth College.
William Mekrut
Mr. Mekrut is a 2002 graduate of the Law School. As a law student, he served as Articles editor for the American Journal of Law and Medicine. After graduating, he worked at the law firm of Craig and Macauley in Boston. Since August 2004, he has worked as an associate at Murphy & Riley in Boston. Mr. Mekrut received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. This will be his second year as an instructor.
Roger Michel
Mr. Michel received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1989. In 2009, he was appointed to the Massachusetts Parole Board. Before joining the Parole Board, he was Senior Staff Attorney at the Massachusetts Appeals Court, where he worked for seventeen years. Mr. Michel also served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk District and worked in private practice at Hill & Barlow. He has extensive administrative hearing experience, having worked as a hearing officer for the Board of Bar Overseers for six years and served two terms as co-chair of the Fee Arbitration Board. He has published more than a dozen articles on various criminal law topics and is currently Articles Editor of the Massachusetts Law Review. In 2008, Mr. Michel was appointed by Governor Patrick to the Advisory Board of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. He is a graduate of Williams College, Oxford University and Harvard Law School, and is currently enrolled in the Forensic Psychology program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He has been an instructor for seventeen years.
Radha Natarajan
Ms. Natarajan received her J.D., cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2003. As a law student, she served as Managing Editor for the New York University Law Review. She also published a note in the Law Review. Since graduating, she has worked as a trial attorney with the Committee for Public Services in Somerville. Ms. Natarajan received her A.B. from Stanford University. This will be her second year as an instructor.
Patricio S. Rossi
Mr. Rossi received his J.D. at Northeastern University School of Law in 2003. As a law student, he participated in the Rappaport Honors Program in Law and Public Service and was a Public Interest Law Scholar. After graduating, he served as Law Clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Mr. Rossi was a Berkeley Law Foundation Grantee at Neighborhood Legal Services in Lynn and Lawrence, Massachusetts, and in September 2005, he joined the staff of Neighborhood Legal Services. In 2008, Mr. Rossi became an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. In addition, from October 2010 through February 2011, he worked as a Career Advisor at the Law School’s Career Development Office. Mr. Rossi received his B.A. from Brown University.
Adrienne Smith
Ms. Smith received her J.D., cum laude, from the Law School in 2005. As a law student, she served as a Teaching Assistant in the First Year Writing Program and Senior Article Editor for the Boston University Law Review. After graduating, she worked as a litigation associate for Foley Hoag LLP in Boston, From August 2007 until August 2008, Ms. Smith served as the Law Clerk for the Honorable Janis Berry of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Since January 2009, she has worked as Interim Assistant Director of Clinical and Advocacy Programs at the Law School. Ms. Smith received her B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. This will be her third year as an instructor.
Halye Sugarman
Ms. Sugarman received her J.D., with honors, from the George Washington University Law School in 2000. As a law student, she served as Executive Managing Editor for The Environmental Lawyer, as a Writing Fellow in the Legal Research and Writing Program, and as a member of the Moot Court Board. After graduating, she worked at Collier Shannon Scott in Washington D.C., and from 2002 to 2005, she worked at Hanify & King in Boston. She left full-time employment in 2005. Ms. Sugarman received her B.A., with high honors, from the University of Florida. This will be her fifth year as an instructor.
Mr. Susich received his J.D., cum laude, from the Law School in 1993. While a law student, he was a member of the Boston University Law Review. After graduating, he served as Law Clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. From 1994 to 2000, Mr. Susich served as Assistant General Counsel of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. Since 2000, he has worked at the Boston Health Commission. He received his B.A. from Williams College. Mr. Susich has taught in the Program for twelve years.
Ms. Taylor received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Law School in 2005. As a law student, she served as a Teaching Assistant in the First Year Writing Program and Articles Editor for the Boston University Law Review. After graduating, she worked as an associate for Ropes & Gray in Boston. Since April 2008, Ms. Taylor has worked as the Associate Director of the First Year Writing Program. Ms. Taylor received her A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard University. This will be her third year as an instructor.
Michael D. Vhay
Mr. Vhay received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Chicago School of Law in 1988. As a law student, he served as Comment Editor for the University of Chicago Law Review. After graduating, he clerked for United States District Court Judge Brian Barnett Duff. Mr. Vhay was a partner at Hill & Barlow in Boston until the firm’s breakup in 2002. Since that time, he has been a partner in the Boston office of DLA Piper. Mr. Vhay concentrates his practice in business litigation, particularly in the energy and real estate sectors. He received his A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard University.
Naomi "Gigi" Walker
Ms. Walker is a 2004 cum laude graduate of the Law School. After graduating, she worked at the Law Offices of Kathleen Ann Foley in Acton, Massachusetts, specializing in family law. Since February 2007, she has worked for the firm of Wilson & Orcutt in Acton, where she continues to specialize in family law. Ms. Walker received her B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee and worked for Sony Music in Nashville before attending Law School.Ms. Walker has taught in the program for four years.
Amy A. Zuccarello
Ms. Zuccarello is a 2001 cum laude graduate of Boston College Law School. Upon graduating, she worked as an associate at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge in Boston. In 2010, she began working at Sullivan & Worcester in Boston. Ms. Zuccarello specializes in bankruptcy law. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Boston University.