Every month, Boston College Law School brings its community members together with scholars, activists, and alumni for thoughtful lectures and panel discussions. Here’s a selection of November’s events, which were particularly wide-ranging and engaging.
Back to School for the Day
Mathew Rosengart ’87 returned to his BC Law roots on November 18 by visiting the classroom of one his favorite professors, Mark Brodin. Now a well-known Los Angeles litigator, the former federal prosecutor regaled the Civic Procedure students with stories of his career journey, which started with his clerkship for then-New Hampshire Judge David Souter before he became a Supreme Court justice. Some of Rosengart’s star-studded clients include Steven Spielberg and Keanu Reeves. But perhaps the most culturally popular is Britney Spears. In Brodin’s class, Rosengart recalled how he handled the high-profile case that freed her from conservatorship, and the critical roles that intentional filing and composure played in handling the media scrutiny—skills that he attributes to his time at BC Law.
Scholars from Near
Scholar-led workshops included two speakers from Boston College, the history department’s Fr. Charles Gallagher, SJ, and the recently retired political scientist Susan Shell. She presented a work-in-progress focused on politics and philosophy. Fr. Gallagher discussed his recent book, Nazis of Copley Square: The Forgotten History of the Christian Front. His work is an unsettling reality check of Boston’s identity as a city dedicated to liberty whose past leaders ironically praised Nazi Germany. More generally, his scholarship focuses on the intersection of religion and international relations.
And Far
From outside of the BC bubble came Father Afonso Nunes, SJ, of Saint Louis University School of Law, to workshop his ideas as a specialist in international public law, and more specifically, international humanitarian law. Professor Faisal Chaudry of UMass Dartmouth School of Law welcomed feedback on scholarship related to property law, legal thought, and theory.
Having the Difficult Conversations
BC Law’s student organizations have an interest in hosting events dedicated to current and sometimes controversial issues to promote free thought and speech among the student body and community. One discussion centered on Louisiana v. Callais, a pending Supreme Court Case, concerned with Louisiana’s congressional map and its impact on the Voting Rights Act and redistricting as a whole. The Holocaust and Human Rights Project of BC Law hosted Tor Stumo, an activist involved with the recent Global Samud Flotilla to Gaza. Stumo and his brother Adnaan faced detention for several days following the Flotilla’s interception by the Israeli navy. Here, students gained insight into Stumo’s experience, the Flotilla’s mission, and the legal implications of its inception.
1Ls Get to Work
Although first-year students at BC Law are still getting their feet wet, it’s never too early to network and gain insight into career options after law school. This November, a panel of Morgan Lewis attorneys visited 1Ls to discuss their career paths and experiences and answer any questions about their respective fields.
Read about other events covered in depth by BC Law Magazine:
As a visiting senior fellow for the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy, the ACLU’s Carol Rose was a central figure in several events that dealt not only on the power of activism and community-building, but also, crucially, on the defense of civil rights and civil liberties: https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2025/11/the-pressure-is-on/
Institutional failures and systemic breakdowns regarding housing policy, and ideas on how to rebuild to uphold property rights, were among the topics explored in programming hosted by BC Law’s Initiative on Land, Housing, & Property Rights: https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2025/11/reimagining-property-rights/
The 2025 BC Law Reunion was held in November. See the photo gallery: https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2025/11/what-a-celebration/
Photograph by Vicki Sanders