DUE PROCESS | NEW ENGLAND LAW | BOSTON
APRIL 16, 2014 responsibilities as a borrower. Exit interviews for Federal Stafford and Graduate PLUS Loans can be completed online at www.studentloans.gov. Students who have been awarded federal Perkins Loans will receive an additional e-mail from the Office of Financial Aid with instructions on how to complete their Perkins Loan exit interviews. You can review your complete federal loan history online at www.nslds.ed.gov, and we encourage you to do so.
Message from Dean O’Brien The spring is always an extremely busy time at New England Law. Students and faculty are closing in on the end of another successful academic year. Exams loom in the not-too-distant future. Planning for summer fellowships and other opportunities is ongoing. And alumni and friends of the school gather for some of our most popular events.
The Office of Financial Aid also will be holding information sessions entitled “Loan Repayment Strategies: Pick Your Plan” to help graduating students navigate the federal loan repayment process. There are four information sessions remaining:
The activity reminds me of the dynamic nature of the law school and the engaged community that makes it the special place that it is. Two recent events illustrate these points. More than 130 students attended our annual Alumni Career Forum in late March, where they benefitted from the advice and guidance of more than 100 alumni volunteers. The event enables students to explore different practice areas of the law and to learn about many career paths. The enthusiasm with which both students and alumni participated is evidence of the dedicated and supportive nature of our law school community. More than 700 people turned out for our Law Day Banquet and Barrister’s Ball, an annual highlight on the law school’s calendar. We were fortunate to have the Honorable Roderick L. Ireland, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, deliver the keynote address. He was joined by the newly elected mayor of Boston, Martin J. Walsh, along with leaders of the courts and our legal community. It was an inspiring evening that allowed our law school community to come together to celebrate the law and its central role in our society. Summer study abroad with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia New England Law’s Summer Program on International and Comparative Human Rights Law in Galway, Ireland, is a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience that past participants have found exciting, rewarding, and meaningful. The program, at which U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will teach, runs from June 8 to July 18. Students not only enjoy an exceptional classroom experience but also have the opportunity to explore one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland. The deadline for applying is May 1, so if you are interested, I encourage you to act now. You can learn more at www.nesl.edu/galway or contact Professor Monica Texeira de Sousa, program director. Important financial aid programming Spring is an extremely busy time for students who are graduating in May, which is why I want to urge those students to pay close attention to important reminders and programming from the Office of Financial Aid.
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May 14, 10—11 a.m., Room 305 May 14, 2—3:15 p.m., Room 305 May 15, 10—11:15 a.m., Room 305 May 15, 2—3:15 p.m., Room 305
To attend a session, you must notify the Office of Financial Aid. Space is limited. CSO events As always, I encourage students to stay connected to the Career Services Office, which offers a wide range of services and programming that can help build resumes and make professional connections. Recent events included the law school’s first Pro Bono and Public Interest Fair, which attracted 11 employers who shared information about volunteer, internship, and postgraduate job opportunities with students. The Judicial Clerkship Panel in early April drew representatives from five state courts who discussed post-graduate judicial clerkship opportunities and internship opportunities for students. CSO members are available to provide advice on résumés, interviews, and networking, so please take advantage of their expertise. Bar exam preparation Because this is the final Due Process of the year, I’d like to remind members of the Class of 2014 that preparation for the bar will get underway shortly after you finish final exams. Please remember that New England Law provides extensive bar preparation support, including exam workshops and classes taught in June and July by Professor Robert Coulthard. Professor Coulthard will be in touch with all members of the Class of 2014 with details and a schedule of the programs being offered. If you have any questions before then, feel free to contact him directly. Congratulations! Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all students on their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments this year. I wish you all a successful completion of the 2013–2014 academic year. I especially want to congratulate members of the Class of 2014 on their pending graduation and add my best wishes as you prepare for the bar exam.
All graduating students who have taken educational loans are required to complete an exit interview during which you will review your rights and
For New England Law, Public Service is a Tradition Not To Be Taken Lightly Ben Dexter, ‘14 Twenty years ago this September, the New England Law community was struck by a tragedy that would change the lives of many, including my own. Mark Charbonnier had just started his fourth and final year in the evening division here at New England Law. After leaving class, Mark would don the uniform of a Massachusetts State Police Trooper, and head out to patrol until his shift ended at 7 AM. He was stationed out of the barracks in Norwell, and would patrol a 25-mile stretch highway from the Braintree split to Plymouth. Partly as a result of his impending law school graduation, Mark had just received approval for a transfer to the Norfolk Naitasia Hensey County DA’s Office to work as a member of that office’s CPAC unit, essentially to serve as a State Police Detective. But until that transfer took effect, Mark continued to patrol the lonely stretch of Route 3 on the South Shore. On the early morning of September 2nd, 1994, on Route 3 Southbound a few yards before the off ramp to Exit 9 in Kingston, Mark stopped a white van driven by a man, unbeknownst to him, who had been paroled after a murder conviction. As Mark approached the vehicle, the driver, still in his seat, fired multiple shots from a .32 caliber pistol, striking Mark just below his ballistic vest before Mark himself returned fire with his own duty weapon, striking the driver. Mark was able to get on his radio and call for help while the driver fled into the nearby woods. Police officers from every corner of the region flooded the scene, quickly apprehending the driver and getting Mark desperately-needed medical attention. Having grown up in Plymouth, my mother worked overnights in Braintree, and at whatever time work happened to wrap up, she would make the long drive on the very highway Mark was responsible for patrolling. The night of September 1st and early morning of 2nd was a light night, and she left work before the break of daylight, happy at the prospect of getting home and into bed before the sun came up. As she reached the area, she saw more police cruisers and blue lights than she had ever before seen in her lifetime. “They almost had the highway closed,” she recently recounted to me. “There was a path barely wide enough for my station wagon—I had to slow down to a crawl. I looked to my right and saw a white van with dozens of police officers around it. I’ll never forget that sight.” Continued on page 10
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