Past Events - 2007
"Modern War Crimes: A Reality-Based Approach"
December 4, 2007
1:00 - 2:00 p.m., Barristers Hall
The Federalist Society hosted Professor Michael Lewis from Pettit College of Law. The former Navy fighter pilot discussed war crimes in the context of modern war, particularly in the combating of terrorism. Professor Lewis analyzed the issues from the perspectives as a fighter pilot and a legal academic.
"Protecting Senior Investors from Securities Fraud," Morin Center Brown Bag Lecture
November 20, 2007
The Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law presented a Brown Bag Lecture by Mary Ann Gadziala, Associate Director, Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The lecture focused on the SEC's efforts to protect senior citizens from fraud and predatory practices as they access the capital markets to prepare for retirement.
Panel Discussion: "Sustainable Development and the Law: Perspectives from Diverse Sectors"
November 15, 2007
Featuring:
- Barbara Batshalom, Executive Director, The Green Roundtable
- Bennet Heart, Esq., Design, Construction, Environmental and Land Use Attorney, Noble & Wickersham
- Brad Swing, Esq., Director of Energy Policy, City of Boston Environmental and Energy Services
- Moderated by Professor Peter Freeman, Esq.
Attendees learned about important legal issues relating to sustainable development including topics such as smart growth, green building, solar power and real estate development. Panelists discussed career options and interesting sustainable development cases, and explored the future of sustainable development.
"Defining Equality: The Working Family" Panel Discussion
November 14, 2007
Outlaw, BU Law's group for LGBT and allied students, hosted a panel discussion examining how the fight for marriage equality has affected both family and employment law. The panel explored current family law issues facing LGBT people and LGBT legal issues in the workplace, including benefits, tax and employment discrimination. Panelists included both family law practitioners as well as attorneys who specialize in employment discrimination and benefit & compensation law.
"21st Century Slavery" Town Hall Meeting featuring Dr. Kevin Bales & Beatrice Fernando
November 14, 2007
Sponsored by the International Law Society
The purpose of this event was to increase education, foster empowerment and inspire action regarding modern slavery. The ILS seeks to create awareness about the many enslaved individuals in the world today, to use the power of leaders and activists working in this area to spread their message to the Boston community and to provide a way for all audience members to personally take a stand against modern slavery.
Keynote speaker Dr. Kevin Bales, writer and activist on anti-slavery issues, is the president of "Free the Slaves," the U.S. Sister organization of Anti-Slavery International. He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Cocoa Initiative, is a trustee of Anti-Slavery International and was a consultant to the United Nations Global Program on Trafficking of Human Beings. He has advised various governments on the formulation of policy on slavery and anti-trafficking. His new book, Ending Slavery- How We Free Today's Slaves, offers a plan for governments, the UN, communities and individuals to bring slavery and human trafficking to an end.
Panelist Beatrice Fernando is a survivor of slavery. She was enslaved as a housemaid in Lebanon and was paralyzed as she escaped her captors by jumping from a fourth floor balcony. The organization she founded, Nivasa Foundation, assists former victims of slavery in Sri Lanka by supporting their rehabilitation needs and those of their families.
Student Panel on International Law Internships & Jobs
November 12, 2007
Hosted by the International Law Society
A diverse panel of law students discussed their previous experiences working with international law, both abroad and in the U.S. Panelists have worked in Cambodia, South Korea, Botswana, Brazil and with the Department of Justice in international affairs. They shared advice for students interested in working overseas, including how to find similar jobs and how to apply for them.
"No Such Thing as a Haitian Refugee:" A Panel Discussion
November 6, 2007
This event featured three noted Haitian community leaders from the Boston area including, Riche Zamor, director of the Haitian Multi-service Center, Ernst Guerrier, founder of Guerrier and Associates, and Gertie Lahens, community organizer and human rights activist. The discussion was centered on the treatment of Haitian refugees by the U.S. and other Caribbean nations.
Comparing Legal Education Around the World
November 5, 2007
J.D. and LL.M. in American Law student panelists discussed the tradition of legal education in their home countries. The panel was moderated by Visiting Professor Anna di Robilant.
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Annual Shapiro Lecture, "Inventing the Public Defender," featuring Professor Barbara Babcock
November 1, 2007
Clara Foltz, one of the first women lawyers in the United States, was also the first to propose a public defender
and to launch a movement based on the idea as radical today as it was then, that the government should pay for the defense of those it accuses. Professor Barbara Babcock will explore the origins of the idea in Foltz's experiences as jury lawyer, a defender against overbearing prosecutors and as a suffragist and all-purpose reformer.
Many of the conditions that Clara Foltz described still exist in the criminal system today, making the time ripe to re-consider the founding impulses of public defense, and to ask how the original vision might be renewed. Along the way to the answer are some good stories and some inspiring moments.
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| Clara Foltz "Working on the Sympathies of the Jury" |
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| Barbara Babcock |
Speaker:
Barbara Babcock was the first woman appointed to the regular faculty, as well as the first woman to hold an endowed chair and the first emerita at Stanford Law School. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Yale Law School, Professor Babcock is an expert in criminal and civil procedure. She is also known nationwide for her research into the history of women in the legal profession, and in particular the life of Clara Foltz, who was the first female lawyer on the Pacific coast.
>>View Stanford's "Women's Legal History Biography Project" Web site
A former assistant attorney general for the Civil Division in the United States Department of Justice in the Carter administration, Professor Babcock is a distinguished teacher, being the only four-time winner of Stanford's Hurlbut award presented by the graduating class to a member of the faculty. Before becoming a law professor in 1972, she served as a staff attorney and then as the first director of the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia. Upon her graduation from law school, she clerked for Judge Henry Edgerton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and worked for the noted criminal defense attorney, Edward Bennett Williams.
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New Media & the Marketplace of Ideas
October 26, 2007
Sponsored by BU Law, BU College of Communication, Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye LLP and WBUR
The Internet is radically transforming the media and restructuring the marketplace of ideas. The result: a wide range of challenging legal, business and policy issues. Are blogs just another type of journalism, with all the rights of traditional media, or are they something different requiring greater controls? Do IP laws interfere with or facilitate new media? How should media businesses respond to the changing environment? Who will be gatekeepers for the new media?
Featured speakers:
- Keynote speaker: Markos Moulitsas ('99), founder, "Daily Kos" blog
- Mark Jurkowitz, Associate Director, Project for Excellence in Journalism
- Sherrese Smith, Deputy General Counsel, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive
- Gigi Sohn, President, Public Knowledgd
Event features:
- BU Today article:
Kos: All Politics Are Bloggable
The creator of DailyKos.com on presidential campaigns and the Web - Markos Moulitsas (’99) speaks at BU’s “New Media” conference
Debate featuring Michael Nachmanoff & Lincoln Jalelian ('92): Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparity - U.S. Supreme Court Argument
October 25, 2007
Co-sponsored by American Constitution Society, Career Development Office & Student Affairs
The Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia, Michael Nachmanoff argued Kimbrough v. United States (the crack-cocaine sentencing disparity case) last week. Nachmanoff debated the case with BU Law alumnus Lincoln Jalelian ('92) of the U.S. Department of Justice. Participants had the opportunity to meet the attorneys, hear from a Supreme Court litigator and learn about an important civil rights issue.
>>More information about the case
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"The Business of Law: An Insider's Guide to Law Firm Economics & Management," featuring Cesar Alvarez
October 24, 2007
Cesar Alvarez, CEO of Greenberg Traurig shared an insider’s guide to law firm economics and management. Participants learned how a firm’s management structure affects the environment, how to distinguish between law firms and how to get their legal careers off to a great start.
Cesar L. Alvarez is chief executive officer of Greenberg Traurig and has served in this position for the last 10 years. During this time, the firm has experienced its most significant growth, from 325 lawyers in eight offices in 1997 to more than 1,700 attorneys and government professionals in 29 offices. The firm has been recognized as the fastest growing law firm in the U.S. over the last five years and is the 7th largest law firm in the country. Prior to becoming CEO of the firm, Cesar practiced securities, corporate and international law for more than 25 years. Cesar has been recognized nationally and in his community for his professional, business and charitable leadership. Cesar has been recognized as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America," The National Law Journal in 1997, 2000 and 2006 (the last three editions). He was also recently ranked as one of the top 10 most admired law firm leaders, Edge International Law Firm Leaders Survey, 2007.
Women's Bar Association Mentoring Circle
October 24, 2007
Three Boston-area female lawyers and BU Law alumnae shared their personal and professional experiences working in different fields of law including corporate firms and public interest/non-profit advocacy organizations. This was a mentoring opportunity for students to ask questions or raise concerns related to being a woman in the legal realm and to receive resume/interview tips.
Speakers:
- Julia Huston ('92), President of the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts and partner at the intellectual property law firm Bromberg & Sunstein.
- Barbara Zimbel ('81), Senior Housing Attorney, Greater Boston Legal Services
- Mary Rebecca Mix ('04), Manager of Regulatory Affairs, Dana Farber Cancer Institut
Learn About Transactional and Corporate Law Luncheon
October 18, 2007
WilmerHale attorney and alumnus Wendell Taylor ('95) and his associates discussed aspects of their corporate practice, including the role of corporate attorneys in the initial public offering and underwriting process.
Lecture: "U.S. vs. John Lindh: Constitutional & Human Rights Implications of an Extraordinary Case," featuring Frank Lindh, Esq.
October 18, 2007
The BU Law American Constitution Society (ACS) and the Office of Student Affairs presented a Brown Bag Lunch Talk
John Lindh, a 20 year-old American and a convert to Islam, was labeled "the American Taliban" on the cover of Newsweek and in newspapers and television broadcasts throughout the U.S. and around the world when he was found among the survivors of a prisoner uprising and massacre in northern Afghanistan in 2001. The surprising discovery of this young American in the ranks of the Taliban army came as a shock in the U.S., barely three months after the September 11 attacks. The case of "John Walker Lindh" became a sensational story in the media. It came to a head in July 2002, when he agreed to a plea bargain and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Despite the harsh sentence, the government withdrew all terrorism-related charges in the plea bargain. Frank Lindh, John's father, has been lecturing about his son's case at law schools, journalism schools and other university settings throughout the U.S. for the past three years. In his lecture, Mr. Lindh claims that his son was guilty of nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but was falsely accused in the media, and by top government officials (including the president, the vice president, and several top Cabinet officials), of being a "terrorist." Mr. Lindh asserts that this is a unique case in American history, in which a young man was made a scapegoat for a horrific event in which he had no part--the 9/11 terror attacks. The story of John Lindh implicates some of our most basic constitutional rights and values. Frank Lindh is an honors graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, and a practicing attorney in San Francisco, California.
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Pro Bono Panel
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The pro bono panel was an exciting opportunity for students to learn from pro bono coordinators, managers and directors from various firms. Speakers discussed their involvement with public service and how students can infuse pro bono work into their legal careers. Professor Kevin Outterson served as the moderator.
Participating panelists:
- Kristy Nardone, Pro Bono Manager - Ropes & Gray
- Carolyn Rosenthal, Pro Bono Manager - Goodwin & Procter
- Al Wallis, Executive Director of the Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest
- Melissa Henke, Senior Associate for the Community Services Department – Hogan & Hartson
- Jerri Schick, Pro Bono Coordinator - O'Melveny & Myers
Morin Center/Annual Review Practitioners Corner Series
October 10, 2007
Speaker: Peter B. Tarr, Chairman and General Counsel of First Marblehead Corporation
The Practitioners Corner is a series of informal discussions with legal practitioners, sponsored by the Morin Center and the Annual Review of Banking and Financial Law. Peter B. Tarr, Chairman and General Counsel of First Marblehead Corporation, was the first guest in this series.
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The Role of the President in the 21st Century
October 11 & 12, 2007
This conference addressed many of the fundamental legal and political controversies surrounding the American executive, including the constitutional sources and scope of presidential power and the historical and contemporary significance of the presidency in American politics. We also offered a comparative perspective by investigating how other countries and American states grapple with the problems of defining, empowering and confining the chief executive. Participants included distinguished figures from law faculties, other academic disciplines and public service.
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Reunion 2007
October 12 - 13, 2007
Classes of: 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002... & and all classes prior to 1957 for the Golden Circle Dinner, an annual tradition.
The Many Paths of the Law: Beyond Traditional Practice
BU Law Alumni Share Their Experiences (A Reunion 2007 Event )
October 13, 2007
Guests heard about the varied career options available to law school graduates as alumni discussed careers outside the large law firm.
Panel 1: Courtroom to Boardroom: Making a law degree work in the business world
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
When it comes to having an impact on our world, perhaps nothing wields more influence than the intersecting of business and law. Guests heard from several highly successful BU Law alumni about their career path from courtroom to boardroom and how their law degree helped them succeed.
Panelists:
- Maria Green ('77) Associate General Counsel & Assistant Secretary,
Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Wendy Huang ('92) Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Crown
Realty & Development - Kanwar Singh ('92) Senior Vice President - Investments, UBS Financial
Services - David Wilkes ('92) President, AEC America
Panel 2: Megafirm Alternatives: Opportunities in small and mid-sized firms
10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
A panel of successful small and mid-sized firm practitioners described the myriad opportunities available in this market. Panelists discussed why they chose to practice in a small firm and essential strategies for building and sustaining a thriving small firm practice.
Panelists:
- James Dilday ('72) Grayer & Dilday
- Andrew Good ('72) Good & Cormier
- Amanda Shipley ('02) Tocci, Goss & Lee PC
- Ritchie Weitzen ('72) Lawson & Weitzen LLP
- David Wilkes ('92) Huff Wilkes LLP
"Judge Without Jury:" A Brown Bag Discussion featuring Israeli Judge Edna Kaplan-Hagler
Introduction by Professor Pnina Lahav
October 9, 2007
Sponsored by the Women's Law Association and Student Affairs Office
Judge Kaplan-Hagler shared her experiences as a judge in criminal cases at the
Tel-Aviv District Court of Israel. Kaplan-Hagler has served as vice president of the District Court at Tel Aviv, Israel since July 2006. She was first appointed to the court in 1993 and prior to that, she was a practicing criminal defense attorney for 27 years. She holds a PhD in legal studies from Tel-Aviv University and has taught courses on the criminal justice system in several law schools in Israel. She has been very active with the Israeli Bar Association, including the Ethics Committee (three years as Vice-Chairperson), the Committee for Criminal Affairs, the Legislation Committee and the board of the Association's Law Review. In 2005, she was a Stein Fellow at Fordham School of Law's Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics.
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| From left to right, the 2007 Victor J. Garo Public Service Award recipients: Victor Garo ('65), Judge Julian Houston ('71) and Al Wallis ('73). |
Pro Bono Kick-off
October 2, 2007
At the Pro Bono Kick-off, students had the opportunity to network with alumni involved with pro bono and learn about the Pro Bono Program’s 2007 partnering organizations. These include Goodwin Procter, ACCION International, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Volunteer Lawyers Project and more. Dean Maureen O’Rourke presented the 2007 Public Service Award to Middlesex Superior Court Judge, Julian Houston (’71), and Executive Director for Brown Rudnick’s Center for The Public Interest, Al Wallis ( ’73). Both honorees shared their experiences and gave perspective on how law students can incorporate pro bono work while in law school and as future attorneys.
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A Celebration of Faculty Scholarship
Featuring Presentations by Faculty Authors
October 1, 2007
Featured Presenters:
Professor Ward Farnsworth
Professor James E. Fleming
Professor Tamar Frankel
Professor Linda McClain
Professor William W. Park
>>View Recent Faculty Publications (pdf)
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Public Interest Brown Bag Lunch Featuring Professor Susan Akram
"Sudanese Refugees in Egypt and Israel, a Crisis of Protection and Realpolitik"
September 27, 2007
Morin Center Lecture: "Global Anti-Money Laundering Principles" Featuring Ramiro Barbosa (LL.M. '98)
September 26, 2007
Panel Discussion: "Abortion: The Legal Evolution since Roe v. Wade- A Brown Bag Panel Discussion" Featuring Professors Gary Lawson and Linda McClain
September 24, 2007
The Women's Law Association, Law Students for Choice, the Federalist Society and The Office of Student Affairs presented a Faculty Brown Bag Lunch Talk. This panel discussion evaluated and analyzed the legal issues behind abortion and the evolution of this issue in U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence. Of special note in the discussion was the latest Supreme Court ruling in Gonzales v. Carhart and its implications for future laws and decisions in the abortion area. This panel was part of our observance of Constitution Day 2007.
Defining Equality: Beyond the Commonwealth
September 20, 2007
Co-sponsored by Outlaw and CDO
BU Law's group for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender students explored how the fight for marriage and equal rights in Massachusetts affects and is affected by similar fights by our New England neighbors and other states. Panelists included representatives from the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry, Mass. Equality, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association. The panel was moderated by BU Law Professor Robert Volk.
Public Interest Orientation, Featuring Lillian M. Moy ('81)
September 19, 2007
Students learned about the exciting world of public interest law at BU Law, hearing from faculty and students involved in public interest and meeting our public interest and pro bono advisers.
Lillian M. Moy has been the executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York since 1995. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the Albany Medical Center and the Corporation for AIDS Research, Education and Services, Inc. (CARES). She is also a nationally recognized leader and trainer in the civil legal aid community and her particular areas of expertise are leadership development, cultural competence and diversity.
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A Conversation with Sumner Redstone
September 18, 2007
Sumner Redstone--lawyer, professor, entrepreneur and media mogul-- joined BU Law for a conversation covering a wide range of topics. Redstone’s career has been truly remarkable. While a student at Harvard, he was selected to join a special intelligence group whose mission was to break Japan’s high level military and diplomatic codes during World War II. He received two commendations from the Military Intelligence Division in recognition of his service.
After law school, he served as law secretary with the U.S. Court of Appeals and then as a special assistant to the U.S. Attorney General. After practicing law in Washington, D.C. and Boston, he entered the family’s movie theater business, Northeast Drive-In Corporation. Redstone built that business into a media empire. As chairman and 80% owner of Northeast Theatre Corporation, Redstone is the controlling shareholder and executive chairman of both Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation. His empire includes respected brands such as CBS Television Stations, CBS Radio, Showtime, The CW, Simon & Schuster Publishing, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, BET Networks, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, Country Music Television, Spike TV, TV Land, Logo and more than 137 networks around the world. During his meteoric rise, Redstone also taught at Boston University School of Law. Sumner Redstone’s legal and business acumen have made him a legend in the entertainment business.
>>Read BU Today article about event, " How iTunes Saved the Music Industry: Viacom head Sumner Redstone speaks on content, copyright, and creativity at LAW"
Photo courtesy of Broadcasting and Cable
Lecture featuring Anthony Romero, Executive Director, ACLU
September 17, 2007
As part of the celebration of Constitution Day, Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) spoke at Boston University. Romero is the ACLU's sixth executive director, and the first Latino and openly gay man to serve in this capacity. In 2005, Romero was named one of Time Magazine's 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and has received numerous public service awards and an honorary doctorate from the City University of New York School of Law.
Robert Bosch Fellowship Presentation
September 13, 2007
The Robert Bosch Foundation enables young American professionals to participate in an intensive work and study program in Germany. The program provides young American professionals, ages 23-34 with two high-level work placements in the federal government and private sector in Germany. Three seminars taking place throughout Europe provide an in-depth understanding of issues facing Germany and the European Union today. Candidates are competitively chosen from the fields of business administration, economics, journalism, law, political science and public policy.
Attorney General's Honors Program Presentation by John Marella
September 12, 2007
Students learned more about the many employment opportunities available at the Department of Justice for interns and attorneys. Presenter John Marella received his J.D. from Harvard in 1990 and joined the department in 1991 in its tax division. Starting in civil trial central, he handled a full docket and completed 10 trials before moving to the criminal enforcement area of the division. Marella left the tax division in 1996 to become an assistant United States attorney in the District of Connecticut where he prosecuted a broad spectrum of complex criminal cases, including financial crimes, firearms offenses, environmental crimes, public corruption, civil rights offenses, crimes against children, narcotics offenses and tax crimes. He recently returned to the Tax Division as deputy assistant attorney general for Criminal Matters.
Never Quit Special Engagement with Victor Garo (LL.B. '65) and Dan Rea ('74)
June 14, 2007
Read related story, "BU Alumni Victorious in Record-Setting Civil Suit"
Junior Tax Scholar's Conference
June 8 - 9, 2007
20 young tax scholars from across the country gathered at BU Law for the 2nd Annual Junior Tax Scholar’s Conference. Participants presented working papers on a wide variety of topics, including tax and social policy, business tax issues, international tax issues and public finance.
>>View Paul L. Caron's "Tax Prof" blog about this event
"Law and Ethics in Rationing Access to Care in a High-Cost Global Economy,"Second Biennial Seminar in Health Law and Bioethics
May 30-31, 2007
"Law and Ethics in Rationing Access to Care in a High-Cost Global Economy," is a joint initiative of the Department of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights, Boston University School of Public Health, and the Discipline of Health Law, and Ethics and Biolaw of the National School of Public Health, New University of Lisbon.
Panels included: "Choosing a Legal and Ethical Framework for Access to Care: Perspectives from Both Sides of the Atlantic,” “Perspectives on Rights to Health and Health Care," "Access to Biotechnology in a Global Economy” and “The Effect of Cost Control on Rights to Care.”
View Full Program
National Health Law Professors Conference
May 31- June 2, 2007
Conceived over 25 years ago at BU Law, the NHLP is co-sponsored each year by a host law school and the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics. Professors of law, medicine and health from around the country gathered to listen to presentations, report on works-in-progress and exchange ideas about medical and legal issues.
View Full Program
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BU Law Commencement
Commencement Speaker: Martha Coakley (’79), Massachusetts Attorney General
May 20, 2007
>>View event details and photo flipbook
Video footage
"Meet the Women" Awards Ceremony & Cocktail Reception
April 5, 2007
Sponsored by BU Law's Women's Law Association
Honorees included the following attorneys:
- Danielle de Benedictis ( '71) has been one of Boston's most successful civil litigators specializing in family law. She is involved in several charities for Nantucket youth and is a previous recipient of a Silver Shingle Alumni Award from BU Law.
- Nancy Shilepsky ( '78) is a key player in the world of employment law. She has been a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers since 2000. Boston Magazine named her first among "Boston's Best Employment Lawyers" and was named by The National Law Journal as one of the most influential lawyers in Massachusetts. Along with her co-founding partners, Ms Shilepsky has built a nationally recognized practice representing executives and professionals across a wide range of industries and is well known for her pioneering work in wrongful termination and discrimination cases. Ms. Shilepsky has reaped numerous other accolades thus far in her distinguished career.
- Sandy Steele ( '77) has been a recognizable face in community activism many years. She has served as both president and chairman of the Board of the Beacon Hill Civic Association. She is a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary and is the president of the Esplanade Association, among many other current engagements.
The BU Law Women's Law Association is a student-run organization that promotes recognition and understanding of the women's unique contributions in academia, practice and the community at large.
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Pro Bono/Public Service End of Year Celebration
April 5, 2007
At the celebration of the Voluntary Pro Bono Program's first year, we honored three community members who have shown great dedication to public service: Dean O’Rourke, Professor Stan Fisher and Steve Fischbach ('83).
- Dean O’Rourke has increased our loan repayment grant program, provided substantial financial support for both the PIP summer funding program and the new Pro Bono program, including the recent trips by 26 students to New Orleans to help in various post-hurricane efforts.
- Professor Stan Fisher has dedicated his legal career to ensuring that the criminal justice system truly includes justice, both in the United States and in the African countries of Tanzania and Eritrea. He has practiced in the Boston area as a juvenile defender, a prosecutor and a public defender. These experiences provided the foundation for his teaching and current research interest: miscarriages of justice. In 2000, Professor Fisher helped found the New England Innocence Project (NEIP), on whose board he serves as trustee. NEIP uses law students and criminal defense lawyers to investigate and litigate claims of innocence by prisoners who might be exonerated by DNA testing.
- Steve Fischbach ('83) is a staff attorney at Rhode Island Legal Services, where he works on a variety of racial justice issues, including environmental justice. Since Hurricane Katrina, Fischbach has volunteered on behalf of several pro bono efforts in New Orleans and has spent considerable time working with BU Law students as a mentor/supervisor for the Student Hurricane Network and Matchmakers For Justice.
We also awarded certificates to 3L's who completed the Pro Bono Pledge.
"The Lawyer as Private Attorney General: A Plaintiff’s Perspective" Lecture
April 3, 2007
Speaker: Michael Brickman of Chardson Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman
Class action and mass tort lawsuits capture the nation’s attention – asbestos, tobacco, pesticides and, most recently, mutual fund litigation have all splashed across the front page. While we’re aware of what a class action is, and the important role of plaintiffs’ counsel as “private attorneys general,” few of us understand the complexities of handling such litigation and even fewer have actual hands-on experience in successfully doing so.
Michael J. Brickman, a partner in the law firm of Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman, LLC, is a nationally recognized plaintiffs’ attorney who has been at the forefront of each of the class action lawsuits described above. Drawing on his 30 years of experience, Mr. Brickman will describe the role of class action counsel in both mass tort and financial services litigation, offering a rare insight into the art and practice of being a class action litigator.
This presentation was of particular interest to students considering a career in litigation, either as defense or plaintiffs’ counsel, as well as to students interested in the impact of class actions on corporate conduct.
Diversity Week at BU Law
March 26 - 29, 2007
BU Law hosted this four-day series of panels, talks and events focused on various issues related to diversity.
Titles included:
- “A,E,I,O, What side are U?”: A Student-Led Debate on the Politics of Language
- The Changing Face of Justice: The Importance of Judicial Diversity in the Courts
- Win: Win Moving Beyond the Appearance of Diversity and Finding its Financial Benefits
- Learning Contract Law Around the World
- Another World, Another Court: The Form and Function of Tribal Court in Indian Country
- SAALSA & LALSA’s 2nd annual Food and Dance Celebration
>>View complete schedule of events
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Pike Conference: The Nuremberg Doctors' Trial: 60 Years Later
March 30, 2007
The conference examined the impact of the "Nuremberg Code" on international and U.S. law regarding human experimentation and the role of physicians in euthanasia of people with disabilities and the new eugenics. The role of military physicians in the "global war on terror," particularly in prison settings, was also examined. View Brochure and Schedule
>>Read BU Today's article about the conference: "Medical Malice Conference Explores Legacy of Nuremberg Doctors Trial"
>>Read press release, "BU Law Library Hosts Exhibit Highlighting BU Law Conference 'The Nuremberg Doctors’ Trial: 60 Years Later'"
Video Footage
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Annual Public Interest Project Auction
March 28, 2007
The annual PIP auction is instrumental in raising funds to support students working in non-paying public interest jobs over the summer. Last year's auction enabled the group to offer summer grants to all 54 applicants.
For information or to discuss a donation, contact PIP at pip@bu.edu or visit the Web site.
>>Read BU Today's article about the auction: "A Bid for Justice: Law Auction Funds Public-Service Practice."
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"Anatomy of a Deal" Lecture
March 27, 2007
Speaker:
Michael Kendall ('93), Partner, Goodwin Procter
Structuring and executing deals is as much an art as it is a science. And, in many ways, successful business lawyers are expected to take on the role of Picasso – faced with a blank canvas and some basic business terms, they are called on to identify, evaluate and manage business risks, structure agreements, negotiate terms and draft documentation that is essential to the success of the deal. Skilled transactional lawyers are more than simply a “necessary evil,” creating value for their clients by managing transaction costs and acting as business advisors.
Michael Kendall, a 1993 graduate of the Law School, a 1994 graduate of the School of Management and a partner in the Business Law Department at Goodwin Procter LLP, focuses his corporate finance and securities practice on private equity and venture capital firms and emerging companies, and also represents issuers and underwriters in a variety of complex financial transactions. Drawing on his practice experience, Mr. Kendall discussed the art and practice of being a successful business lawyer, using a recently completed transaction as illustration.
View Poster
Audio Footage
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"An Introduction to Islamic Finance" Brown Bag Lecture
March 22, 2007
Sponsored by The Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law and the Boston Bar Association
Speaker:
Babback Sabahi ('04), Associate, Mayer Brown LLP
Prior to joining Mayer Brown LLP in Washington, D.C., Mr. Sabahi worked with the International Monetary Fund. His practice areas include Banking and Finance (financial institutions regulation, Islamic finance and central banking law) and Public International Law. His article "Islamic Financial Structures as Alternatives to International Loan Agreements: Challenges for US Financial Institutions" was published in The Annual Review of Banking and Financial Law.
Mr. Sabahi received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law. He also holds LL.M. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the Shahid Behesti University (Iran) and an LL.B. from the University of Tehran (Iran).
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Annual Shapiro Lecture: "Human Rights After the Fall of the Superpower"
March 8, 2007
Speaker:
Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize Winner
Samantha Power is The Anna Lindh Professor of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Her book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, was awarded the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction, the 2003 National Book Critics Circle Award for general non-fiction and the Council on Foreign Relations' Arthur Ross Prize for the best book in U.S. foreign policy.
Power’s New Yorker article on events in Darfur, Sudan won the 2005 National Magazine Award for best reporting. Power was the founding executive director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy (1998-2002). From 1993-1996, she covered the wars in the former Yugoslavia as a reporter for the U.S. News and World Report, The Boston Globe and The Economist. Power is the editor, with Graham Allison, of Realizing Human Rights: Moving from Inspiration to Impact.
A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Power moved to the United States from Ireland at the age of nine. She spent 2005-06 working in the office of Senator Barack Obama and is currently writing a political biography of the UN's Sergio Vieira de Mello.
Video Footage
Photo Credit: Martha Stewart
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Lecture: "Deals Litigation – From the Boardroom to the Courtroom"
March 6, 2007
Speaker:
Robert G. Jones (‘95)
For many people, “doing deals” and “arguing cases” are two distinct career paths for lawyers in the corporate world. Lawyers are either transactional attorneys or litigators, and never the twain shall meet. But is that really the case?
Robert G. Jones, a 1995 alumnus of the law school and partner in the Litigation Department at Ropes & Gray LLP, specializes in complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on securities litigation and commercial and business disputes. Drawing on his practice experience, Mr. Jones will introduce students to the litigation side of deal-making – outlining some of the complexities of litigation arising from contested business transactions and the controversies that create the legal background against which businesses and transactional lawyers make deals. If war is an extension of diplomacy, then the legal parallel may be that litigation is an extension of boardroom negotiation. Litigators can, and often do, play substantial roles in the negotiation, structuring, drafting and resolution of potentially hostile business arrangements.
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| View Excerpts from Follies '05 |
Legal Follies
March 1 - 3, 2007
The annual variety show about the humorous side of law school written, performed and produced by law students.
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Brown Bag Lecture: Trading Stocks Globally
March 1, 2007
Sponsored by the Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law & the Boston Bar Association
Speaker:
Erik Sirri, Director, Division of Market Regulation, Securities and Exchange Commission
Prior to serving as director of Market Regulation at the SEC, Mr. Sirri was a professor of finance at Babson College where his research interests included the interaction of securities law and finance, securities market structure, securities trading and the investment management industry. He was also an assistant professor of finance at Harvard Business School. At the SEC, Mr. Sirri is responsible for the administration of all matters relating to the regulation of stock and options exchanges, national securities associations, brokers, dealers and clearing agencies. Mr. Sirri received a BS in Astronomy from the California Institute of Technology, an MBA from the University of California, Irvine and a Ph.D. in Finance from UCLA.
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Student Hurricane Network Fundraiser
February 28, 2007
Students, faculty and staff gathered for a screening of Spike Lee's documentary "When the Levees Broke," southern cuisine, raffle and live New Orleans-style music. The event raised $713-- the price of three student airfares to New Orleans. Read more about BU Law's Spring Break Volunteer Initiative in New Orleans.
Applying to Law School 101:
Demystifying the Admission and Financial Aid Process
February 13, 2007
Sponsored by the Black Law Students Association
Prospective law students had these questions and many others answered:
- What makes an exceptional application?
- How are applications for admission evaluated?
- Hod do I maximize my chances of admission?
- How can I get my application fee waived?
- Where should I apply?
- How do I pay for law school?
- What is law school really like?
Public Interest Brown Bag Lunch Featuring Leslie Bock ('92), Co-Founder, Children’s Legal Services
February 12, 2007
Speaker:
Leslie Bock ('92) , Co-founder, Children’s Legal Services
Leslie Bock came to BU Law with the goal of starting a children’s advocacy organization – and she did it. Over the years numerous BU Law students have served as summer interns and academic year externs at Children’s Legal Services. Children’s Legal Services offers clients an interdisciplinary and multimodal approach to family law and child welfare practice. Through legal representation, as guardians ad litem, or as parent coordinators, the staff of Children's Legal Services, Inc. provides assistance in a variety of family, probate and child welfare matters, including adoption, guardianship, special education, divorce, custody and visitation, child abuse and neglect, mental health, delinquency, parenting plans and estate planning.
Monday, Feb 12, 2007
Speaker:
J. Michael Schell ('76), Vice Chairman of Global Banking, Citigroup Global Markets
Mr. Schell spent 29 years as a Wall Street lawyer, beginning his career as a corporate lawyer with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in New York. He was recruited to join Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom's fast-growing Mergers & Acquisitions group in 1979 after working against them. He was elected to partner in 1984. In 2005, Mr. Schell joined Citigroup as Vice Chairman of Global Banking. His primary focus is developing and maintaining major client relationships and providing senior M&A expertise.
Symposium: Brain Imaging and the Law
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February 3, 2007
Each year, BU Law sponsors a working conference for scholars contributing articles to the American Journal of Law and Medicine annual symposium issue. In 2006, the conference focused on global pharmaceutical regulation; the 2007 topic is "Brain Imaging and the Law."
Lecture: Lansing Crane ('70), Chairman and CEO, Crane Paper Co.
January 29, 2007
Lansing Crane is the CEO of Crane & Company, a 200+ year old family-owned and run company that produces the paper that U.S. currency is printed on. Crane & Company has been a leader in developing paper-based counterfeit deterrents, such as advanced security threads, watermarks, planchettes and security fibers.