Martha Coakley (’79) Joins BU Law’s Part-Time Faculty
The former Massachusetts attorney general will teach a seminar on criminal law.
Former Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (’79) will join Boston University School of Law’s faculty as an adjunct professor of law in spring 2016.
Coakley will teach a seminar entitled Criminal Law, Civil Order: Policing in the 21st Century. The course will explore the roots of civil policing in the United States, with an emphasis on the last 60 years of federal and state court decisions that address a range of issues such as stop and frisk, search and seizure, and use of force. Students will examine the efforts of courts and legislation to balance the need for order with the recognition of individual and civil rights, and will consider remedies available for police misconduct, especially excessive use of force, including internal affairs, civilian review boards and Section 1983 lawsuits.
“Ms. Coakley has been a tireless advocate for the people of Massachusetts, first as a district attorney, and later as attorney general,” says Dean Maureen A. O’Rourke. “We are thrilled she will be sharing her expertise with our students this spring.”
In addition to teaching at BU Law, Coakley is of counsel in Foley Hoag’s Litigation Department, where she focuses her practice on government and internal investigations, litigation, and data privacy and security.
As the first female attorney general of Massachusetts, Coakley served from 2007 to 2015. During her tenure, she addressed the economic crisis by holding banks accountable and keeping residents in their homes; protected civil rights by successfully challenging the Defense of Marriage Act; investigated fraud and corruption; championed major initiatives to address health care and energy costs; and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Coakley began her legal career practicing civil litigation. While in civil practice, she gained extensive experience in such areas as insurance defense, criminal defense, and large-scale construction litigation. Coakley joined the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office in 1986 as an assistant district attorney in the Lowell District Court office. In 1987, she was invited by the US Justice Department to join its Boston Organized Crime Strike Force as a special attorney. Coakley returned to the DA’s Office in 1989, and in 1991 was appointed the chief of the Child Abuse Prosecution Unit.
In 1998, Coakley was elected Middlesex district attorney. During her eight years as district attorney, Coakley was widely recognized as a public safety advocate, not only bringing justice to crime victims and their families, but also emphasizing the importance of working with community leaders, schools, and law enforcement in a variety of diverse and multi-faceted prevention efforts. She continued to play an active role in advocating for legislative change, joining with fellow district attorneys and other members of the public safety community in urging the Legislature to provide additional funding for the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab for enhanced DNA analysis capabilities. Coakley also advocated for changes in the law to streamline the approval process for academic and research institutions to conduct stem cell research.
