Reflecting on 2023
Key moments from this year.
Photos by John Gilooly, Josh Andrus, and Janice Checchio. Photo courtesy of Jaimee Francis and Brianna Jordan
Reflecting on 2023
Key moments from this year.
While this year presented its fair share of challenges, it also offered opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. The BU Law community repeatedly demonstrated its resilience and proved how the law may work in support of our values. Our school’s leadership rallied to reinforce the importance of diversity in academia and created programming to support reproductive justice. Students and an alum made an impact on Supreme Court cases. And Associate Dean Jasmine Gonzales Rose delivered the University Lecture on how we must examine the law through critical race theory. As we head into 2024, we have many things to look forward to, including a new President at BU.
Here are a few of BU Law’s notable moments from 2023.
1
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered the 2023 BU Law Commencement address.
The 150th class of BU Law graduates concluded their law school careers with a Commencement address from United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Jackson shared advice gleaned from her favorite musicals, urging graduates to “find something you care about, and get yourself into the room where it happens.”
2
BU Law launched a multidisciplinary reproductive justice and health program.
The After Roe and Dobbs Symposium marked the start of the BU Law Reproductive Justice Program, codirected by Professors Linda McClain, Aziza Ahmed, and Nicole Huberfeld. Scholars, lawyers, and public health officials from across the country gathered at the law school to discuss what the future may look like with the landmark Roe decision overturned by the US Supreme Court.
3
We said goodbye to dear faculty member, Robert Volk.
Professor Robert Volk (’78) passed away in February, following a short but difficult treatment for cancer. For more than 40 years, Volk served the Boston University community with dedication and his signature sense of humor. “Robert loved teaching and loved being an integral part of every first-year student’s experience,” says Jennifer Taylor McCloskey (’05), director of advocacy programs, who began working with Professor Volk in 2008. “It was important to him that his role could provide some measure of assurance to first-year students that it is okay to be who you are and be a lawyer.”
4
Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig reflected on the SCOTUS affirmative action decision.
Dean and Ryan Roth-Gallo Professor of Law Angela Onwuachi-Willig reassured the BU Law community, noting that “Boston University School of Law was at the forefront of racial equality more than 150 years ago when it was founded. Today, we affirm our commitment to racial integration and to an institutional environment in which every student feels welcomed and in which every student can thrive.”
Read her response to the #SCOTUS ruling on race-conscious admissions.
5
Associate Dean Jasmine Gonzales Rose delivered the University Lecture.
Associate Dean for Equity, Justice, and Engagement and Professor Jasmine Gonzales Rose shared, “What I’ve learned from critical race theory and from working in anti-racist movements is that this is really about all. This is really about love, it’s really about freedom. It’s about democracy.”
6
The BU Law community continues to make an impact on the Supreme Court.
This July, alum Cesar Lopez-Morales (’14) clerked for Justice Sotomayor, continuing a career of appellate advocacy.
And this fall, a new clinical professor, Madeline Meth, continued the work as co-counselor for the Supreme Court Case Muldrow v. City of St. Louis. Meth sought support on the case from her BU Law Civil Litigation and Justice Clinic students. Jaimee Francis (’24) and Brianna Jordan (’24) joined her in DC for the December argument.
7
Professor Hartzog testified at the Senate Judiciary Committee on artificial intelligence legislation.
Hartzog advised that Congress use several different tools to monitor and regulate the use of AI, beyond just “encouraging transparency, mitigating bias, and promoting principles of ethics.”
8
The Graduate, Online, and International Programs toured around the world.
Director Maureen Tracy Leo toured India with the India-US LLM Legal Education Consortium and met with admitted students in Thailand. Assistant Dean Christina Rice visited Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Director of the Two-Year LLM Program Rebecca Pendleton traveled throughout Panama and Brazil. And BU Law was represented by Associate Director John LaPlante at the EdUSA fair held in Spain.
9
We welcomed the largest class of First Generation students yet!
Before the official orientation at BU Law kicks off, new students find connections at events such as the Be Yourself Orientation and the First Generation Convening. This year’s first gen-ers found solidarity in their numbers!
10
Dr. Melissa Gilliam was announced as the next Boston University President.
Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig celebrated with the community as we learned the news that a national leader in education, a distinguished educator, scholar, research scientist, and physician, would be BU’s next President. Onwuachi-Willig shared, “What a wonderful, historic day. For us to have our first woman and first Black president, for a university that has long been forward-thinking and forward-moving [to] have a leader that is truly representative of our history and our values.”
