ACADEMIC UPDATES
This year, Boston College Law School expanded its academic programs with a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD), a prestigious degree that adds the school to a select list of institutions that offer it. The program is designed for students from around the world who are interested in academic, research, and policymaking careers, along with high-level positions in public and private sectors. “The SJD program is a wonderful way to further enrich our research and scholarly community,” said Aziz Rana, the J. Donald Monan, SJ, University Professor of Law and Government, who chaired the SJD task force that helped launch the program. “It connects us to talented emerging academics from around the world and allows them to engage with our incredible faculty.”
Thanks to a grant from the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, BC Law Professor Jeffrey Cohen launched the Pro Se Legal Assistance Clinic to support litigants in federal civil cases. The clinic’s nine students are already assisting more than 40 clients—a number growing each week. “The response has been tremendous from the school, the legal community, and the courts,” said Cohen. “There is a big need for this program.… We haven’t found our max capacity yet. We’ll keep pushing until we do.”
ALUMNI UPDATES
Jessica Carmichael ’09, a nationally recognized criminal defense attorney, is on the team defending former FBI director James Comey in a federal case alleging he made false statements and obstructed Congress. As a result of his lawyers’ work, the US Department of Justice has encountered several setbacks that challenge the prosecution’s claims.
In a hotly contested runoff election in Houston in December, Alejandra Salinas ’15 defeated Dwight A. Boykins (59.27 percent to 40.73 percent) to win an at-large seat on the City Council. The two had been the top vote-getters in a crowded general election, finishing just 1.9 percentage points apart and triggering the runoff. Salinas has been active in politics for years; in 2012, as a first-year BC Law student and national president of the College Democrats of America, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention where Barack Obama accepted the party’s nomination.