Hannah Nead (’16) Receives ACC-Northeast Law Student Ethics Award
Award honors regional law students for their commitment to ethics in their field of clinical studies.
Hannah Nead (’16) has been honored with the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Northeast Law Student Ethics Award. Each year, the award is granted to 12 students from top regional law schools in recognition of their commitment to ethics in the course of their clinical studies while representing clients.
Nead was nominated by BU Law Clinical Instructor Brian Wilson, who oversees the prosecutor program in the Criminal Law Clinic. As Nead’s supervisor, Wilson commends her “outstanding commitment to her ethical obligations” as a student prosecutor.
“Nead has a compassionate outlook towards those accused of crimes motivated by factors beyond their control,” he says. “She advocates rehabilitation, and not punishment as the immediate corrective measure.”
Citing a district court case that Nead worked on, Wilson adds, “The defendant was charged with breaking into a vehicle and stealing the victim’s property. The case hinged on the fact that the defendant was in possession of the stolen property three days after the theft. However, Nead raised concerns regarding the lack of information that positively tied him to the actual theft and questioned the viability of the complaint. She demonstrated tact in explaining the nuances of the case and maintained a respectful working relationship with all parties involved.”
Nead started the Criminal Law Clinical Program in the spring of her 2L year at BU Law. “Criminal law, in my opinion, is an area of the law that affects the average person on a day-to-day basis,” she says. “I wanted to work in the prosecutor program to better understand how our criminal justice system affects defendants, victims and their families, as well as law enforcement officers involved in the case.”
“My number one fear going into this line of work is that I might put the wrong person in prison,” she adds. “Criminal lawyers have a tremendous obligation to validate the investigative information they receive from their sources during the case lest there is a wrongful conviction. Unlike the medical field where ethics are more or less solidified, in the legal sphere, it is an evolving subject.”
On receiving the award, Nead says, “It’s nice to be appreciated for one’s work. In areas such as ethics, it is important to weigh the humanity factor, especially in case of criminal law where the lines tend to get blurred sometimes.”
Starting this August, Nead work for the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office in California as a post-bar clerk, after which she plans to apply for job as a district attorney in California.
“My experience in the Criminal Law Clinic has solidified my belief in the importance of dedicated and competent prosecutors and defense attorneys to a working criminal justice system,” she says.