Lawyers for Affordable Justice
Boston College and the law schools at Boston and Northeastern universities this January launched an American Bar Association-funded “lawyer incubator” program to train graduates in the fundamentals of solo practice and to provide legal services to the underserved. One of the first such ventures in the nation developed and run collaboratively by three law schools is headquartered in Boston’s Kenmore Square. Twelve graduates from the participating law schools will be selected annually for the two-year program. Faculty and alumni will mentor them as they assist clients with immigration, employment, small business, and landlord/tenant issues. BC Law’s first participants are Hanford Chiu ’15, Justin Brogden ’13, and Linda Neary ’84. A primary goal of the ABA’s Catalyst grant is to use new technology to lower costs while still delivering the highest quality legal services, says BC Law Professor Paul Tremblay, “and we’re going to take advantage of that.”
BC in DC
Under the directorship of veteran Washingtonian Christine Leonard ’01, students are now able to get a taste of what it’s like to practice in the nation’s capital. The new experiential learning externship got under way last fall, allowing select students a one-semester immersion in the workings of Washington. Participants pick from existing opportunities or craft their own placements in diverse subject areas. A weekly seminar complements their work. One student’s observations are typical of those in the BC in DC program. “It was exciting to make connections between what we were discussing in class, what my agency was doing, and what I saw in the news,” says Lauren Robbins, who trained in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
All Aboard
Dean Vincent Rougeau and eleven graduates of the Law School have assumed roles on the Boston Bar Association’s governing board. In addition to Council Secretary Jonathan M. Albano ’82, alumni on the council are: Peggy Brown ’79, Paul Cushing ’91, Michael Fee ’84, Megan Gates ’94, Margaret Hinkle ’77, Christopher Morrison ’01, Kevin O’Connor ’89, Karen O’Toole ’90, Jeff Pyle ’00, and David Rosenblatt ’82.