Boston University School of Law Graduates its First Class of ASPIRE Scholars
In May 2025, Boston University School of Law graduated its first cohort of ASPIRE (Antiracist Scholars for Progress, Innovation, and Racial Equity) scholars. The program, which was introduced by Dean and Ryan Roth Gallo Professor of Law Angela Onwuachi-Willig in 2022, aims to educate and train a new generation of antiracist legal professionals and is open to students of all backgrounds who have demonstrated a commitment to antiracism, social justice, and racial equity.
During their law school tenure, ASPIRE students have the opportunity to engage in cohort-based training, participate in an antiracism-focused clinical course, and demonstrate leadership within the BU Law community by serving on journals and as presidents of affinity groups and student organizations. Additionally, each cohort of ASPIRE students is assigned a faculty mentor who hosts a series of community-building events throughout the year, including an ASPIRE game night where students mingle with faculty and get a chance bond more closely over good-hearted competition. Last fall, ASPIRE students also attended a joint reception with BU Law’s Public Interest Scholars, where Jurist in Residence Judge Robert W. Pratt offered insights on the current judicial system and using one’s law degree to advance justice.
“The students who are part of ASPIRE have a diverse range of interests and experiences, but they are united by their commitment to building a world in which everyone can thrive,” says Caitlin Glass, visiting lecturer and clinical instructor. “Over the past three years, these students have explored many ways to challenge forms of subordination and advance racial justice—whether that be through transactional work, litigation, public defense, civil rights law, movement lawyering, transformative justice, or a path that they forge all their own.”
In 2024, the law firm Foley Hoag LLP announced a partnership with the BU Law ASPIRE program. “This partnership is a natural progression as we draw near the graduation of our inaugural cohort of ASPIRE leaders, whom we are confident will have a transformative impact on our profession and society,” shared Dean Onwuachi-Willig, an alumna of Foley Hoag herself, in the announcement of the collaboration.
“We are deeply proud that BU Law is home to this one-of-a-kind initiative to inspire the next generation of leaders, and we look forward to the contributions that all our ASPIRE students will make to the profession,” shares Professor Erika George, associate dean for equity, justice, & engagement and the Ernest Haddad Faculty Scholar.
This year marked the first that all three cohorts of ASPIRE scholars have been filled. The class of 2025 ASPIRE students are poised to make a positive impact in both public and private law, with positions in government, law firms, public interest organizations, and more lined up post-graduation.
“ASPIRE has given my law school experience so much meaning—my peers taught me about leadership and community-building; my mentors helped me maintain and refine my sense of purpose; and the legal training led me to my dream job,” shares Quinn Philips (’25), who received a Skadden Fellowship to work with the ACLU’s National Prison Project after graduation. “Being part of ASPIRE gave me a powerful sense of belonging which allowed me to stay grounded in my values, even in moments of uncertainty. At a time when the legal profession urgently needs principled and equity-driven leaders, ASPIRE ensured I was prepared.”
The ASPIRE scholars are incredibly involved in the community at BU Law and are called upon to act as resources and guides for future program participants. They are creative students who are ready to collaborate on antiracist policy change and societal transformation in legal education, the legal profession, and broader society.
“It is thrilling to know that these soon-to-be alumni will return as mentors to future BU Law students, and that this powerful network of leaders and change-makers will continue to grow as ASPIRE lives on,” says Glass.