Boston College Law School Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School Boston College Law School Magazine 4-1-2000 Boston College Law School Magazine Spring 2000 Boston College Law School Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/bclsm Part of the Legal Education Commons Recommended Citation Boston College Law School, "Boston College Law School Magazine Spring 2000" (2000). Boston College Law School Magazine. Book 15. http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/bclsm/15 This Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Boston College Law School Magazine by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. On the Cover: A BC Law triumvirate: (I-r) House Speaker Thomas Finneran. Attorney General Thomas Reilly. and Governor Paul Cellucci. Captured in a light moment by photographer Jim Harrison. : ~ ~ . - 2 POST SCRIPTS 3 DEAN'S COLUMN f . 1 13 4 FACULTY COLUMN IN BRIEF 7 A Closer View: Students take on a death row appeal I2 Top Brass: Justice Wilkins brings real-world lessons to a class on state constitutional law I3 Proftle: Librarian Sharon O'Connor tosses a curve ball at bureaucracy and comes up with a fresh concept for how to run a library 19 20 Campus and Courts: Supreme Court Justice Scalia grills competitors in BC Law's final moot court competition. Plus: a student's first-person account ofthe experience FACULTY NEWS & NOTES 34 In Profile: Intellectual property professor Fred Yen discovers lessons in medieval history on why society 34 is so servile to the powers ofthe Internet ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES 40 Stock Car Maven: Jack Birmingham buys a team and revs up for the big time in NASCAR racing 43 Public Housing: Josephine McNeil doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to helping women live 43 in dignity and peace SPR I NG 2000 VOLU M E 8 Heads of State 22 The governor, house speaker, and attorney general ofMassachusetts all received their law degrees from Boston College Law School. The similarities stop there. By Brian Sullivan with Vicki Sanders Heaven Sent After years spent making products that put astronauts into space, Darald Libby '55 and his wife, Juliet, turn their energies to other lofty goals By Vicki Sanders A 'Dual' to the Finish 30 30 In a rapidly changing marketplace, some graduates find that a joint degree in law and business is the smoking gun ofsuccess By Linda Matchan 22 PUBLICATION N OTE BOSTON COLLEGE LAw SCHOOL DEAN: John H. Garvey EDITOR IN CHIEF: Vicki Sanders CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Dan Booth, Stephanie Munro Carmel, Deborah J. W. Coakley, Glenn Rochon CONTRI BUTING WRITERS: Andreae Downs, Maria Karagianis, Linda Matchan, Julie Michaels, Jeri Zeder Boston Co/leg, Law School Magazine welcomes readers' commen cs. You may conracr us by phone at 617-552-2873; by mail at Boston College Law School, Barat House, 885 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02459-11 63; or bye-mai l at [email protected]. Copyright" 2000, Boston College Law School. All publication rightS reserved. O pinions expressed in Boston Colkg~ LAw School Magazint do not necessarily reflect the views of Boston College Law School or Boscon College. SCRIPTS already the law school equivalent of running the gauntlet. It also further enhanced the A Slew of Praises legend and the mythology surrounding The Generous to an Ault Slew, which were dutifully passed down I just finished reading the last issue of BCLS from class to class. I very much enjoyed your note on Professor Magazine and particularly enjoyed the article Emil Slizewski is truly one of BC Law's Hugh Ault ("Hugh Ault: The Practical on Professor Emil Slizewski ("Telling Tales greatest treasures. Thanks for the reminder Philosopher," Fall 1999). I was struck, howev­ Out of School," Fall 1999). He remains one and the memories. er, by how little attention you paid to Profes­ of my absolute favorite professors of all time, Rick Lenz '67 sor Ault's teaching. Just as William Andrews in any setting. He was truly masterful. Simsbury, Connecticut helped Professor Ault find that elusive career Captain Robert Duncan '83 answer, Professor Ault has done the same for Needham, Massachusetts countless BC Law students. When I was a student at BC Law (and I doubt this has changed), Professor Ault's Introductory Tax Many thanks for the wonderful retrospective class was as feared as any. But Professor Ault on "The Slew." It brought back many won­ presented tax in such a way that some stu­ derful memories and provided (for me) a dents saw the beauty of the system and went rare glimpse into the man who perhaps on to careers in tax. impressed me the most during my three I am sure Professor Ault values his teach­ years at BC Law. ing experiences as much as those that relate to The article did a particularly good job of policy. Certainly you don't want your readers capturing The Slew's version of the Socratic to receive the impression that the faculty casebook method of instruction, including doesn't value the teaching part of their jobs as the occasional joke he dropped in without much, if not more, than the other parts. change in tone or expression to see which Garlands for Judy Lester Ezrati '76 students were really listening. What I Hillsborough, California remember most, though, is how The Slew Your article on Judy Willis '79 was one of was able to gather the sunlight coming the best articles I have read in your magazine Y2KBugged through the windows of his St. Thomas ("Barbie's Own Dream Lawyer," Fall 1999). More Hall classroom and focus its reflection I am a friend of Judy from law school. It was US Senator John Kerry couldn't possibly on the lenses of his thick eyeglasses. Then such a kick reading about all of her adven­ have addressed the "Century's Last Class" when he turned his head toward the student tures. I had heard most of them over the during last May's commencement ("Centu­ caught on the "hook" of that day's case dia­ years, and I can assure everyone they are all ry's Last Class Is Honored at Commence­ logue, the reflected sunlight would obscure true. Judy has a truly fun , challenging job. ment," Fall 1999). Unless you call him back the Slew's face and expression, thus destroy­ The nicest part of the article was the fact for an encore, that highlight will be provided ing any visual clues as to how the student's that you portrayed her as a kind, hardwork­ by someone else-for surely there is a class answers were being received by "the master." ing woman. Thank you. 2000 to be honored. All in good time. This added an extra dimension of psycholog­ Mary Costello '79 Edward A. Everts '70 ical terror to what, for many of us, was Boston, Massachusetts Charlotte, Vermont WRITE TO Us Our Letters to the Editor box isn't as full as we'd like it to be. We love getting mail, so write to us. Give us your feedback on our stories and let us know what you'd like most to read about in your alumni magazine. Have you handled any intriguing cases lately? Do you have a story you want to share with your BCLS colleagues? Write to Letters to the Editor, Boston College Law School Magazine, 885 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02459-1163, or email to [email protected]. 2 BOSTON COLLEGE LAW SCHOOL MAGAZINE / SPRING 2000 DEAN ' S COLUMN by John Garvey Can't Buy Me Love Law firms may court young lawyers with six-figure salaries, but how long can the romance last? must say that my first reaction on hearing that big law firms in will be no less economically rational in their demands. New asso­ I Boston were pushing their starting salaries up around ciates will have to work more hours than before, and young lawyers $140,000 (I pass over the matter of bonuses) was one of unal­ already work hard. They will get less training and mentoring, loyed delight for our third-year students. Three years' education at because those activities get in the way of billable hours. There will an elite law school is an expensive proposition. With that kind of be less job security. A young person who doesn't show early money, new graduates who can discipline themselves to endure promise of panning out will be let go sooner than before, because one more year of delayed gratification, can payoff their education the firm is taking a bigger financial risk by keeping him or her on. loans. That's good for them, their families , and Boston College. It's And when the market softens and there is less work to do, firms bound to give law school applications a bounce (in making career will cut their costs by laying off associates, not by cutting salaries. choices, recent college graduates are exquisitely sensitive to the Then there are the side effects. Young associates often begin, or market), and that too is good for Boston College. recently have begun, families as they begin their careers. Longer These salary increases are large and sudden, but they are not the hours, more risk, and more stress will take a toll on spouses and result of frivolous or exuberant behavior by law firm management. children. Within firms, we may anticipate further movement in Boston has to keep pace with New York, Washington, San Fran­ salary structures and work assignments.