News

An Airing of a Few Grievances

2010-02-05T17:00:51Z

Unsurprisingly, people are unhappy with the school and how it’s being run. I know, shocking that people are complaining about every little, last thing as if they’re entitled to have a perfectly smooth experience in every aspect and stage of their lives. However, the point of this post is not to air my distaste for whiny little bitches (which is strong and a subject I never tire of). The point is to reflect on a few complaints and ponder some simple solutions while awaiting action from the administration.

The consensus seems to be that no one is happy with how our tuition dollars are being spent. I suppose there’s weight to the argument that it’s our money, we should have a say in where it goes, but c’mon kids. Let’s get real. You will have very little control over where your money goes for the rest of your life. Everyone knows half your paycheck goes to various government agencies, plans, programs, etc. Pretty soon, the rest is gone as well. For example, the City of Boston has sucked up almost, every last bit of disposable income I managed to scrape together because apparently it’s now cool to ticket at 3a.m. The rest has gone towards new tires- thanks Comm. Ave. Anyway, most of your money will go towards things other than a Wii…for the rest of your life.

Citizens United Poll

2010-02-04T14:32:44Z

There has been a lot of talk at the law school recently about the controversial decision Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. __, in which the Supreme Court held the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act in the McCain-Feingold bill an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. This decision broadened the ability of corporations to participate in elections through independent expenditures. The controversy at the President’s State of the Union address only furthered debate on Citizens United. What do you think about this decision?

Another Massachusetts Law School?

2010-02-03T01:32:27Z

There are just a few law schools in the Boston area and yesterday the Board of Higher Education approved a new competitor with the conversion of Southern New England School of Law into a public Massachusetts law school. UMass Dartmouth, which is adopting Southern New England, is supposed to operate free of state dollars and eventually turn a profit according to a Boston Globe article. Dean Garvey said last week in the state of the school that the model where the law school sends money to the university has been reversed with increasing expenditures on financial aid and school resources supported by the larger institution. Thus, one has to wonder how UMass Dartmouth plans to turn a profit with an in-state tuition and no current ABA accreditation. Most important what will the impact be on the already crowded Boston legal market?

Left of the Dial (Music Reviews)

2010-02-02T20:33:32Z

Romance is Boring

So far, 2010 has been a bit lackluster as far as music is concerned. Yes, the new Vampire Weekend is surprisingly good, but I still feel like I want to punch the entire band when I hear them, so I can’t fully get behind it. A mash-up of the Beatles and Wu-Tang was released which, while amazing in theory, turned out to be as disappointing as seeing a ring on the left hand of an attractive girl. To be honest, I haven’t given Odd Blood the chance it deserves because every time I put the album on, I listen to “Ambling Alp” over and over (that song is freaking good). And Animal Collective still sucks. This dearth of outstanding music explains the lack of reviews this semester. I am sure the 1 ½ people who read these articles have been devastated.

Luckily, Los Campesinos! released an album on January 26 that is a

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Stonewalling

2010-02-02T20:22:54Z

Obama called for repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy in his State of the Union address last week. He stated, “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do.”

Many, myself included, took “[t]his year” to mean that a vote on DADT repeal would be pushed for this year. That doesn’t look likely; rather, the stonewalling continues.

Running with the Oscar Nominations: Avatar

2010-02-02T16:02:24Z

The Oscar nominations are out! See the link below for the full list. Some notables include: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Bastards, Precious, Up in the Air, all with a number of nominations. As usual, I haven’t seen half of these movies; it’ll take me at least a few years to catch up (or never to catch up).

So now I turn my attention to the only one of these I did watch, Avatar. After talking to a number of my friends, the consensus is:

Tuition Reduction Would Be Appropriate Step

2010-02-01T18:29:22Z

The following was submitted by second-year student Peter Foundas as a letter to the editor.

The economic climate is bleak for lawyers currently. The OCI process this past summer was a blood bath. Many qualified candidates barely even got a perusal from the top firms. It is in this climate, and I feel confident in stating that my sentiments are shared among my classmates, that I call on the administration of Boston College Law School to lower tuition for the upcoming school year.

Your students need your help. The most effective way to help us through these difficult times would be to reduce the financial burden placed upon us by circumstances beyond our control. We are still the same hardworking, astute and ambitious group of future lawyers that we were when you admitted us. We were attracted to BC Law for a myriad of reasons: the great reputation of the faculty, the high esteem employers hold for the BC Law degree, and the commitment to public service this university fosters.

The student body now needs your help and we ask that the administration show some compassion.

Immigration Law Specialist Deports House Guests

2010-02-01T13:39:31Z

Lucy Bartlett, local BCLS 3L and immigration law specialist, recently came home from her immigration law clinic to find and promptly kick out her roommate’s house guests. Bartlett was exceedingly annoyed to find three of her roommate’s friends in her apartment, citing communication difficulties, lack of space, and cultural differences as the main sources of her frustration with her roommate’s guests. After Bartlett spent Monday in immigration court working on an asylum claim for her Ugandan client, she returned home to find her roommate, Peggy Liu, had invited three of her friends from Baltimore to stay with her for a few days. Bartlett promptly told them to pack their bags and get out. “Peggy had invited all these weird Chineses or something to stay at our place for a few days. I should honestly build a wall around my apartment so those weirdos can’t get in,” reported Bartlett to Eaglei reporters.