Just Law

The Just Law Podcast returns -- and just in time! Join new hosts Colin Black and Jackson Canady as they welcome Genevieve Nadeau, Counsel & Head of Defending Against Authoritarian Threats Team at Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan, anti-authoritarianism, nonprofit group dedicated to building more resilient democratic institutions and protecting our freedom and liberal democracy. Genevieve breaks down the current state of democracy in the US as we approach the 2024 presidential election, offering clear warnings -- and also some hope for the future.

Co-hosts Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore conduct a wide-ranging interview with alumnus Max Meglio, associate in the M&A and Private Equity group in the Sidley Austin's Boston office, to get his view on landing a job working in private practice. Prior to joining Sidley, Max was a law clerk for the Honorable Justice John Englander of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. He was a Staff Writer and Senior Editor on the BC Law Review at Boston College Law School.

Just Law co-host Tom Blakely interviews Boston College Police Chief and Executive Director of Public Safety William B. Evans. Evans previously served for decades on the Boston Police Department, working his way all the way up to Commissioner. He reflects on his personal and professional life, what it was like to manage the Boston Marathon bombing response, and his current position at Boston College.

Just Law co-host Tom Blakely listens to some of the most interesting legal movie and TV show clips with Professor Michael Cassidy, a criminal law, evidence and ethics expert, to critique what they got right--and what they didn't.

Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore talk to Professors Daniel Lyons and Kevin Powers about Elon Musk's "data dump" of documents related to Twitter's content moderation and alleged censoring of conservative opinions, along with the legal implications for the courts.

Just Law co-host Tom Blakely interviews Lisa Gochman, who argued the landmark criminal sentencing case Apprendi v. New Jersey before the United States Supreme Court in March 2000. Her recently published memoir, At the Altar of the Appellate Gods (Indiana University Press, October 2022), "captures the terror, wonder, and joy of standing before the nine justices of the Rehnquist Court to defend the constitutionality of New Jersey's Hate Crime Statute."

Just Law co-hosts Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore talk to Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Daniel Lyons about the growing push to ban the social media platform Tiktok, and implications for free speech and business.

Just Law co-hosts Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore interview BC Law Liberty Mutual Professor Pat McCoy, who helped found the Federal Consumer Protection Bureau before coming to BC Law, about the collapse of SVB and the growing pressure on other banks.

Host Tom Blakely interviews Jamie Ehrlich and Bobby Ferullo, winners of last year's Grimes Moot Court Competition, about their experience.

Sports betting is now legal in Massachusetts. Host Tom Blakely talks to Sean Hickey '14, Director of the Legal Department at DraftKings Inc., about the behind the scenes leading up to the decision and the launch, and what it's like to work at one of the biggest names in the business.

Just Law Co-Host Re Cooper talks to Lisa Brathwaite, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Programs, about her journey to BC Law, the unique community here, and why she loves her job.

Just Law Co-host Tom Blakely interviews Professor Lisa Alexander and David Price, Associate Director of BC Law's new Initiative on Land, Housing and Property Rights, to discuss affordable housing in Boston and the upcoming The Land Loss, Reparations & Housing Policy Conference on March 23-24.

Cabot's Ice Cream and Restaurant has been "a Newton tradition since 1969," but was recently sold to the owners of Johnny's Luncheonette. Tom Blakely interviews the iconic owner, Joe Prestejohn, about growing up working at Cabot's with his parents, and what the shop means to him and generations of Newton, MA residents.

Just Law co-hosts Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore talk to BC Law Professor Michael Cassidy, an evidence and criminal law expert, about the disturbing case of the disappearance of Cohasset, MA resident Ana Walshe, and her husband's arrest for her murder. What does the evidence show? Can he be convicted for her murder without a body? Tune in to hear Professor Cassidy's opinion on that and much more.

Just Law Co-Host Tom Blakely talks to Courtney Pillsbury, BC Law alum, FBI agent and recruiter, about her career path and the opportunities for lawyers at the Agency.

Just Law co-hosts Tom Blakely and Jill Jacobson interview Angela Vorpahl, a law school success coach and creator and founder of the "Law School Master Plan", to hear her own story and answer questions about succeeding in law school, through your first exams and beyond.

Tom Blakely interviews current second-year student Sydney Blomstrom, president of BC Law's First Generation Professionals group, and alumnus John-Henry Marley '21 from Morgan Lewis, about their personal and professional experiences.

The Just Law Podcast team has expanded! Meet new team members Re Cooper, Mercedes Harvell, and Jill Jacobson, and listen as they, Tom and Jim discuss their BC Law experiences, what they love best--and what they would change.

Just Law co-hosts Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore welcome BC Law professor Ross Martin to the studio to discuss the world of cryptocurrency, regulation (or lack of it), and what we might expect in the future. Martin teaches several commercial law subjects, including Corporate Bankruptcy, The Law of Money (Payment Systems), Contract Drafting, and Secured Transactions. He is a retired partner of Ropes & Gray LLP, where he spent over 20 years representing clients in all aspects of bankruptcy, corporate restructuring, and commercial lending.

Tom Blakely and Sam Beyar welcome two alumni special guests, Elizabeth Martin and Jim Warner, to tell their personal stories about their struggles with mental health, the tools they used to recover--and why it's so important to talk about it with others. This episode is part of a larger initiative in support of the well-being of law students and lawyers across the professional spectrum, in partnership with alumni. It includes the https://bclawimpact.org/2022/08/24/lawyers-helping-lawyers-comfort-on-the-path-to-well-being/ (Mental Health Impact Blog Series), comprising deeply personal essays by community members who have struggled with mental health issues, meant to provide restorative insights and resources to fellow lawyers in need.

Just Law Podcast hosts Tom Blakely and Samantha Beyar interview BC Law professor Ryan Williams about the Dobbs US Supreme Court case--breaking down the law and discussing why the justices made their decision, and the implications for future legal battles.

Just Law podcast hosts Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore talk to three professors teaching in the first-year, Mark Brodin, Frank Garcia, and Daniel Lyons, to discuss their backgrounds, how they approach their classes, what the academic environment is like at BC Law, and how to prepare for your first semester.

Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore talk to Professor Brian Quinn about Elon Musk's offer to buy Twitter.

Just Law host Tom Blakely talks about legal careers in the Judge Advocate General Corps with USMC Captain and Officer Selection Officer Austin Lorah, and Evan Muller, 2nd Lieutenant and 1L at BC Law.

Host Tom Blakely talks to Shailini Jandial George about mental health and wellness in law school and the profession, how deeply embedded cultural and structural issues can contribute to competition and stress among students--and what we can do about it. George is Professor of Legal Writing at Suffolk University Law School and author of https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781531021559/The-Law-Students-Guide-to-Doing-Well-and-Being-Well (The Law Student's Guide to Doing Well and Being Well), and recently spoke at BC Law at the panel "Resilience: Living Well in the Face of Adversity."

Podcast hosts Tom Blakely and Ali Shafi talk to Professor Dan Farbman about the implications of fees imposed on North End restaurants, and related protests at Mayor Michelle Wu's residence.

Just Law hosts Tom Blakely and Eddie Ward talk about the latest in Ukraine with associate professor Jennifer L. Erickson from the BC Political Science Department and International Studies Program. Her research interests include international security and arms control, conventional and nuclear weapons, and the laws and norms of war.

Just Law Podcast members Tom Blakely, Sam Beyar, Eddie Ward and Jim Fiore talk about their BC Law experience and how it shapes up to the Reddit law school "advice" threads that dominated their lives leading up to matriculation.

Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore talk to Professor and M&A expert Brian Quinn about Microsoft's deal to acquire Activision, valued at over 67 billion--and they break down why both companies might want the merger, and why the FTC is reviewing the details closely.

Just Law podcasters Tom Blakely and Sam Beyar talk to adjunct professor, Jones Day partner, and former US Attorney Andrew Lelling about his career.

Podcasters Tom Blakely and Sam Beyar interview BC Law Professor and labor law expert Tom Kohler, who explains what happened in the MLB lockout.

Just Law podcasters Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore sit down with Rappaport Distinguished Visiting Professor and former US Senator Doug Jones for a wide-ranging interview covering his new role as "Sherpa" to President Biden's SCOTUS nominee, as well as his thoughts on Congress and US leadership today, the growing partisanship and how to reach across the aisle.

Impact podcasters Tom Blakely and Jim Fiore are joined by BC Law professors and legal experts Mark Brodin and Fred Yen to examine the explosive lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. The lawsuit against the league and the https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/mia/miami-dolphins (Dolphins), https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/den/denver-broncos (Broncos) and https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyg/new-york-giants (Giants) alleges racial discrimination in the process of hiring and firing coaches.

Podcast co-hosts Tom Blakely and Joanna Plaisir sit down with BC professor and associate dean of academic affairs Daniel Lyons to talk about regulating the Internet, Big Tech's role (and their recent scandals) and how we keep people safe online while allowing for freedom of speech and fair access to information.

Tom Blakely interviews BC Law professor Judy McMorrow on the recent ownership and sale of stock by judges, and whether this is a conflict of interest or ethical concern.

Just Law Co-Host Tom Blakely sits down with Mike Beaudet, the Emmy award-winning investigative reporter, to discuss the state of journalism and the media in today's world. Mike brings years of groundbreaking reporting to Boston's most experienced investigative unit, 5 Investigates. As a multimedia investigative journalist, Mike is teamed with reporters Kathy Curran and Karen Anderson in the market leading investigative unit on WCVB NewsCenter 5. Before joining WCVB in 2015, Mike spent nineteen years at WFXT as an investigative reporter and anchor and also worked as an anchor/reporter for WCVB's sister station WMUR. Mike left his last position at WFXT in September 2015 to become a full-time journalism professor at Northeastern University. Mike continues his teaching position at Northeastern and taps the talents of his students to assist in the in-depth investigations that dually serve as case studies in the classroom. Over the course of his distinguished career, Mike has received national and regional awards including twenty National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Boston/New England Emmy awards. His most recent Emmy came in 2021 when he was named Outstanding Investigative Reporter. Mike and his team have also won numerous Associated Press and Edward R. Murrow Awards for coverage of topics ranging from wrongful convictions to organized crime. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) awarded Mike and his investigative unit the national Award of Excellence for their coverage of repeat drunk drivers who continue getting behind the wheel.

Podcast co-hosts Joann Plaisir and Tom Blakely are back together in studio to talk about returning to campus, the On-Campus Interview (OCI) process, and how to adjust to the new normal. Bonus feature: a very special call-in guest!

In this episode we interview BC Law Professor Fred Yen to discuss NCAA v. Alston and the newfound right of student athletes nationwide to profit from their name, image, and likeness.

In this episode Tom Blakely talks with BC Law Prof. David Olson, who was interviewed recently on the blockbuster case Epic Games v. Apple in the Wall Street Journal--a case that has the potential to shape the direction of Big Tech and antitrust law as we know it. Professor Olson joined Boston College Law School in 2007. He teaches Patent Law, Intellectual Property Law, Antitrust Law, and various seminars. Professor Olson also serves as the Faculty Director for the Program on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Professor Olson researches and writes primarily in the areas of patents, copyrights, antitrust, and incentives for innovation and competition. He has published scholarly articles on patent law, copyright law, antitrust, music licensing, and first amendment copyright issues. His writing has been cited in Supreme Court and other legal opinions, and he has testified before the U.S. Congress on matters of drug patents, FDA regulation, and antitrust.  Professor Olson is interested in international IP and competition law, as well as comparative law in intellectual property and antitrust. For one semester in 2015, he was Visiting Professor of Law at Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (PUC-Rio), where he conducted research and taught a course on intellectual property. The media frequently seeks Professor Olson's insights and opinions. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, and Reuters, among others. He has appeared as a guest panelist on WBUR's Radio Boston, WAMU's Kojo Namdi Show, and on Public Radio Canada. His op-eds have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Times, and The Hill. Professor Olson came to Boston College from Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, where he researched in patent law and litigated copyright fair use impact cases. Before entering academia, Professor Olson practiced law as a patent litigator. Professor Olson clerked for Judge Jerry Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  Professor Olson has been recognized for his teaching excellence and contributions to Boston College Law School. In 2011, he received the Business & Law Society Faculty Award for Achievement in Business & Law. In 2012, he received the Professor Emil Slizewski Award for Faculty Excellence.

In this episode, Tom Blakely interviews international security expert Peter Krause on the US decision to withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11th, 2021.  Peter Krause's research and teaching focus on international security, Middle East politics, terrorism and political violence, nationalism, and rebels and revolution. He has recently published one book and two co-edited volumes Rebel Power: Why National Movements Compete, Fight, and Win (Cornell University Press, 2017), Coercion: The Power to Hurt in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2018), and Stories From the Field: A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science (Columbia University Press, 2020). He has published articles on the causes and effectiveness of terrorism and political violence, why states negotiate with ethno-political organizations, social movements and territorial control in Israel, U.S. intervention in the Syrian civil war, the politics of division within the Palestinian national movement, the war of ideas in the Middle East, a reassessment of U.S. operations at Tora Bora in 2001, and field research amidst COVID-19. Krause has conducted extensive fieldwork throughout the Middle East. He currently teaches courses on Middle East politics, terrorism and political violence, research methods, and international relations. He is a faculty associate in the International Studies Program and the Islamic Civilization and Societies Program at Boston College, as well as a research affiliate with the MIT Security Studies Program. Krause was formerly a Research Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of the Harvard Kennedy School, the Crown Center for Middle East Studies of Brandeis University, LUISS University, and Uppsala University.

A Necessary Conversation with APALSA

The podcast team tackles a whole lot of topics...

Lea and Tom discuss the COVID-19 Pandemic from a legal perspective with Professor Hashimoto and Professor McMorrow

Lea and Rebecca Langsam (3L) discuss the importance of mental health in law school and some of their own strategies of managing stress

Joanna speaks with Dean Vincent Rougeau and Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Programs, Lisa Brathwaite about diversity in the legal profession. They discuss positive changes that have been made, as well as work that still needs to be done.

Lea and Professor Anzalone kick-off mental health march, discussing strategies in managing stress and walking through a short guided meditative exercise

Lea and Tom speak with 1L Danisa Schiff 

Lea and Tom have a wide-ranging, insightful discussion with Nat Carney

Tom and Mark discuss the GameStop Stock Market Debacle with Professor Brian Quinn

Joanna and Kevin welcome BC Law Prof. Kent Greenfield onto the podcast to discuss reinvigorating American democracy through court reform

In Just Law's second episode, Kevin and Tom discuss all things Newton with Council Member Emily Norton