Boston College Law School Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School Boston College Law School Magazine Summer 7-1-2016 BC Law Magazine Summer 2016 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, "BC Law Magazine Summer 2016" (2016). Boston College Law School Magazine. 48. http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/bclsm/48 This Book 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]. GREAT CASE It’s Criminal Making a Murderer Attorney Slams Ethical Breaches PRISON REFORM BOSTON COLLEGE LAW SCHOOL MAGAZINE No Day SUMMER 2016 No Night, BC.EDU/BCLAWMAGAZINE Battling the Cruelty of Solitary GIVING $64 Million Law School Surpasses Campaign Goal LEGAL EAGLE DEBRA YANG ’85 Has Become Something of a Legend in Her Own Time. The First Female Asian American US Attorney in History, She Now Attracts Clients Like Uber and DraftKings to Her Los Angeles Practice at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. BC Law Magazine SOLITARY CONFINEMENT ZACHARY HEIDEN ’02, LEGAL DIRECTOR OF THE ACLU OF MAINE, IS WORKING TO FIND A MORE HUMANE WAY TO HANDLE PUNISHMENT IN PRISON. PAGE 36 20 Contents SUMMER 2016 VOLUME 24 / NUMBER 2 Features 24 The Choice Controversial, complicated lawsuits? Bring them on. 22 Clients like Uber, Draft- Kings, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have sought the counsel of Los Angeles attorney Debra Yang ’85, whose legal savvy earned her 2016’s Top White Collar Lawyer in the Nation award. By Katharine Whittemore 14 30 The Two Sides of Truth Walt Kelly’s efforts to win a $36 million wrongful 30 conviction settlement for the man at the center of the Making a Murderer saga exposed egregious actions by law enforcement. By Chad Konecky Foremost 12 Candid Mousa Mosawy ’18. Esquire 2 In Limine From the Editor. 42 Generations 14 In the Field Katherin Nukk- Two generations of the 36 3 Correspondence Freeman ’93 and Suzanne Jones family. There Was No Night, Letters and contributors. Cerra ’93; Bob Raskopf ’76. No Day, Nothing 43 Class Notes to Mark the Time 4 Behind the Columns 16 Impact A prison within a prison, In a world besotted with the Mary Bilder’s findings may 48 Alumni News solitary confinement has new, it won’t pay to forget alter understanding of the reached epidemic propor- law’s humanitarian role. US Constitution. 52 Click Law Day and tions in America. How the By Dean Vincent Rougeau Commencement 2016. work of Zachary Heiden ’02 18 Brainstorm Dean Vincent is helping to reverse that Rougeau and business 54 Light the World trend. By Jeri Zeder Docket leader James M. Micali ’73. A campaign to remember. 6 In Brief Cathleen Kaveny’s books; how BC Law fared 20 Faculty Scholarship 56 The 2015 Reunion From top, Professor George Brown; in 2016 rankings; campus When George Brown writes Giving Report Walt Kelly ’68; scholarship that speaks volumes; Katherin Nukk-Freeman ’93 and news and events. about corruption, even Su- Suzanne Cerra ’93. preme Court justices listen. 60 In Closing 10 Policy Panelists propose Law enforcement On the Cover Debra Yang ’85; novel solutions for the 22 Evidence BC Law faculty go powers threaten liberties. FROM TOP, ADAM DETOUR; ADAM RYAN MORRIS, DAVIDE BONAZZI, CONOR DOHERTY BONAZZI, CONOR DAVIDE MORRIS, RYAN ADAM DETOUR; ADAM TOP, FROM Photograph by Mark Leibowitz Boston of the future. where research takes them. By Kari Hong Photograph, opposite page, by JESSICA WEISER Summer 2016 BC LAW MAGAZINE 1 IN LIMINE Foremost when the demand for and nature of legal work as a US Attorney (she faced down the mam- Integrity: Law’s Most is rapidly shape-shifting. moth Crédit Lyonnais for fraud), a state judge, Potent Credential Enter the idea of integrity, and the picture and now a top big-firm lawyer with clients crystallizes. like Uber and DraftKings. “A law school teaches you integrity,” At BC Law School, mottos like “doing good Walt Kelly ’68 was thrust into the limelight in said businessman James Micali for others” are not empty phrases; they are Netflix’sMaking a Murderer for handling a civil ’73 in a recent interview with Dean foundational attitudes that launch graduates suit between the two criminal trials of a man Vincent Rougeau. Their conversation had into the upper echelons of the profession as named Steven Avery (page 30). Kelly’s thought- turned to the value of a law degree. Micali’s measured by a principled life. Such values are ful perspective on the corrupted legal process statement abruptly pinpointed what’s often not counted in dollars; they are calculated in exposed by Avery’s exoneration in the first case been missing in the debate over whether a deeds. And they are manifest in the tireless and the bad taste it left after his conviction in the legal education is worthwhile in a period efforts of alumni toiling in big law firms and second, he learned from Dean Robert Drinan, small, in major corporations and modest non- SJ. Father Drinan had a lot to do with setting profits, in the White House and in town halls. Kelly on his career course. “There was a sense Lessons in integrity begin with faculty. in the air…that human rights and civil rights get Professor George Brown (page 20) has been a priority,” Kelly said. “A sense that as much as one of the foundation-builders, fighting lawyers are devoted in so many fields of their corruption and seeking legal remedies for work, doing this work is particularly important.” forty-five years through his scholarship and Zachary Heiden ’02 gets the last word. He teaching. He has loosed into the marketplace has spent more than a decade at the Ameri- hundreds of men and women who understand can Civil Liberties Union of Maine (page 36). right and wrong and the nuances in between. Solitary confinement reform has become his Citing professors James Houghteling and primary cause. It is, he said, “going to be some- Cynthia Lichtenstein as similarly influential, thing that I work on for the rest of my career.” Debra Yang ’85 has built her career by doing VICKI SANDERS, Editor what’s right (page 24). It has served her well [email protected] CONNECT Don’t forget to update your informa- place. The BC Law Alumni Portal Participating firms and volunteer SUPPORT/GIVE Law School Fund Gifts to BC Law’s tion so the Law School and other gives you access to BC LawNet, the representatives provide perspective annual fund provide immediate alumni can reach you. Contact us at website where you can look up alumni on the changing legal industry, men- Light the World Campaign BC Law financial support for many of the Law [email protected], call 617-552- in an online directory, take advantage tor and recruit students, and partner concluded its most ambitious and School’s most important needs. It has 4378, or visit www.bc.edu/lawalumni. of career resources, register for events, with the Office of Advancement to successful campaign, raising $64 million been used to fund financial aid for submit class notes, update your contact strengthen the alumni community. to support Law School priorities, notably students, loan repayment assistance information, and maintain an @bc.edu Contact Amanda Angel, director endowed professorships, scholarships, for alumni in public interest positions, forwarding address. Register now at of annual giving, at amanda.angel@ loan repayment assistance, faculty and faculty research grants. Contact ALUMNI RESOURCES www.bc.edu/lawnet. bc.edu or 617-552-8696. research, and Law School centers of Amanda Angel, director of annual excellence. Please see pages 54-55 for giving, at [email protected] or BC Law Magazine BC Law’s alumni Mentoring Program The 1L Mentor details about the impact of this effort. 617-552-8696. magazine is published twice a year, in Program matches first-year students For more information, contact Jessica January and June. To request a copy of VOLUNTEER with alumni volunteers in the city where Cashdan, executive director of advance- Dean’s Council Giving Societies the latest printed edition or share news they want to practice and in the prac- ment and associate dean, at jessica. Members receive invitations to special items, press releases, letters to the edi- Reunion Committee The most tice area they are considering. 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Contact Amanda Angel, Alumni Association meet in locations can contribute as little as two hours excellence, or public service achieve- director of annual giving, at amanda. around the country and beyond to per month. Contact Amanda Angel, Judging Oral Advocacy Competi- ments, in accordance with donors’ [email protected] or call 617-552-8696.