A program we enjoyed presenting this week was“What I Wish I’d Known in Law School,” and it was just what it sounds like. As our law student members get back into the swing of the school year, we wanted to hear from some of our more seasoned members about what they wish they’d known as they worked hard studying the law. Our panel was not the only place to sound off!
For this week’s “Voices of the Bar” column, we reached out to ask:
“What do you wish you had known in law school?”
Lauren Corbett – Beck Reed Riden
“Practical skills are much more valuable as a new lawyer than theories and cases. Take advantage of every opportunity to get hands-on experience, whether its through an internship, clinic, or coursework. This will have the double advantage of preparing you for practice and growing your network. ”
Meredith Hiller – Holland & Knight
“I wish I had known in law school that it’s hard to know exactly what you want to do until you’ve tried some different things. I wish I’d also known how important I find it to have a job that is interesting and that constantly allows me to learn.”
Valerie Moore – Ferriter Scobbo & Rodophele
“I wish I had known the importance of starting to build my network early and had acted on it. There are many opportunities available to law students to network with the Boston legal community and I wish I had taken more advantage of them while in school.
Joel Reck – The Mediation Group
“As a young guy who is about to participate in his 50th law school reunion next month, I have mixed positive and negative memories of my law school experience. I never loved it. I wish that I had known how much I would come to love our profession and the doors that it would open to participate in our society in a variety of ways. My head was too much in books and classes. I did not think enough about how the law could provide a platform for giving back, which would, in turn, provide a profound sense of professional and personal fulfillment.”
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of the Bar, make sure you send aheadshot, and contact Lauren DiTullio at lditullio@bostonbar.org.
With the new program year just beginning, we thought it would be great to hear from some of our section co-chairs about what’s ahead.
For this week’s “Voices of the Bar” column, we’re reaching out to ask:
“What Are You Most Looking Forward To This Program Year?”
Real Estate Section
Daniel P. Dain – Dain, Torpy, Le Ray, Wiest & Garner, P.C.
“I am the co-chair of the BBA’s Land Use and Development Subcommittee. Last year, our theme for our monthly brown bag lunches was working with the professional team, including civil engineers, architects, permitting consultants, and others. This year, our theme is going to be hearing from real estate developers themselves about how they do their business, how they work with outside counsel, what their concerns are, and what are their thoughts and strategies for the future.”
Labor & Employment Law Section
William E. Hannum III – Schwartz Hannum PC and Robert A. Fisher – Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Section Co-Chairs
“Our goals for the Labor & Employment Section Steering Committee are: to provide timely continuing legal education; to promote discussion regarding new or important issues facing labor and employment law practitioners; to promote friendship and professionalism; and to help fulfill President Carol Starkey’s vision of providing programs offering thought leadership.”
Our new program year begins today, and we have so much to look forward to! With a change in the BBA’s volunteer leadership and new programs filling up the calendar, September is always an exciting time here.
But as one program year ends and the next one begins, we also have many occasions to reflect. So for this week’s Voices of the Bar, we thought it would be fitting to look back at some of our favorite questions from last year.
Kathryn Van Wie – Vertex Pharmaceuticals “Having just finished law school in North Carolina, I relocated to Boston to take the bar exam and begin the job search in a state I had visited only twice. The BBA was my first stop and an integral step in connecting with the Boston legal community. I had my sights set to work in house, but I was aware I would be fighting an uphill battle to find an entry-level attorney position. Through the BBA’s industry-specific events, as well as general networking events, I was able to better hone my search, develop my network, and eventually found a role that continues to challenge and excite me. ”
J.W. Carney – Carney & Associates
“I will never forget the day that a District Attorney moved to dismiss three criminal convictions against Dennis Maher after he was exonerated by DNA testing. He had served 19 years in prison, and I had been his prosecutor.”
…What they enjoyed most about volunteering for our Law Day in the Schools program, during which they traveled to schools in Boston and educated students about Miranda rights:
Bruce Falby – DLA Piper “My partner Mike McGurk and I oversaw a trial of the big bad wolf in a fourth grade classroom at Samuel Adams School in East Boston. I’ll remember two things. First, the jury was out all of 2 minutes before coming back with a verdict finding the wolf guilty of deliberating blowing down houses and eating pigs, yet when we polled the witnesses, both prosecution and defense, they would have acquitted. Second, the defense attorney departed from the script by making an extemporaneous argument for reconsideration after the jury came back. Procedurally irregular, but we admired his passion.”
Carol Starkey – Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford (Current BBA President)
“The case that had the greatest impact on me personally, and in my view, on the country as a whole, was Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. (2015), the landmark Unites States Supreme Court case in which the Court held in a 5–4 decision that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Justice Kennedy pointed to the evolution of our understanding of injustice when he wrote, “The nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times. The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment did not presume to know the extent of freedom in all of its dimensions, and so they entrusted to future generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning. When new insight reveals discord between the Constitution’s central protections and a received legal stricture, a claim to liberty must be addressed.” And so it was with the Obergefell decision.”
And finally, we asked members what they thought about the now-infamous government order that Apple unlock an iPhone on the grounds that it contained vital evidence pertaining to the San Bernardino shooting. So many attorneys weighed in on the conflict between investigating the crime and avoiding setting a dangerous precedent that it’s difficult to pick just one response to highlight! We encourage you to look at the original post and read the fascinating discourse.
Thank you so much to everyone who answered a question during this past program year!
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of the Bar, make sure you send aheadshot, and contact Lauren DiTullio at lditullio@bostonbar.org.
Though the Olympics have come to an end, everyone is still talking about them. From scandal to successes, the Olympics have dominated the headlines and office discussions for weeks. We wanted to know what stood out to our members.
For this week’s “Voices of the Bar” column, we reached out to ask:
” What was the most memorable moment of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio?”
Stacey Friends – Ruberto, Israel & Weiner
“For me, the highlight of the Olympics was cheering on the Women’s Gymnastics team from a ranch in Montana surrounded by guests and staff from France, California, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas, and of course, Montana, and all agreeing that it was the team’s artistic choreography, especially Simone’s, that made them stand out.”
Ruselle Robinson – Posternak Blankstein & Lund
“My most memorable moment was the gold medal game for women’s basketball. As the father of two daughters and a fan of women’s basketball, I loved watching the teamwork and remarkable skill level of the dominant USA National Team. Terrific players led by a great coach, Geno Auriemma.”
Karl Fryzel – Locke Lord “The Rio Games were spectacular. I always try to catch the swimming, gymnastics and track and field events, all sports where the US team usually excels and these Games did not disappoint. Of all the memorable moments, the one I found very special was the gold medal race in the women’s 100M freestyle which was won by Simone Manuel of the US. It was special because she was not expected to win this race but she gave it her all and surprised everyone including herself. It was also the first individual Olympic gold medal by an African-American woman in swimming and her time set a new Olympic record. The events resulting in ‘first’s’ in certain categories are the most memorable.”
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of the Bar, make sure you send aheadshot, and contact Lauren DiTullio at lditullio@bostonbar.org.
It’s hard to believe our Summer Jobs students are already most of the way through their summer employment experiences.
Next week, we will host a celebration to commemorate their contributions to the law offices and legal services organizations over the course of the summer. But in the meantime, we wanted to see what their employers think.
For this week’s “Voices of the Bar” column, we reached out to some of this summer’s employers to ask:
” What is the highlight of Having a Summer Jobs student in your office?”
J.D. Smeallie – Holland & Knight
“I would have to say his intellectual curiosity and initiative. Ben Tayag from Boston Latin attended a hearing with me on a major motion. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge asked counsel to submit post-hearing briefs. The next morning, I got an email from Ben. Without any instruction or prompting, he had found a very recent case right on point on the key issue. Needless to say, we were all very impressed. An offer to return next summer as an equity partner is in the works!”
Sharon Armour – Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
“It’s nice seeing the interest that the kids come in and have. I like being able to make connections between the work we are doing and the things that interest them.”
Sean Nehill – Boston Redevelopment Authority It has been an absolute pleasure working with our Boston Bar Association Summer Jobs Program intern, Sherley Muscade. The energy, diligence, and humor that she brings to the office every single day has been a highlight of the summer. We have been lucky to have such a superstar in the Office of General Counsel, and we are excited to see what is next for her.
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of the Bar, make sure you send aheadshot, and contact Lauren DiTullio at lditullio@bostonbar.org.
Rosanna Sattler knew from the time that she was eight years old that she was passionately interested in outer space. But unlike other children her age, her dream was never to hop aboard a spacecraft.
“I never thought that I could be an astronaut,” she said. “Later in life, I decided that I wanted to try to merge my passion with my abilities as a lawyer. I wanted to see if I could move the needle a little bit on issues concerning the industry.”
That “industry” was in its infancy in 1997, when Sattler decided to apply her expertise in commercial litigation, insurance law and risk management to the final frontier. Commercial space flights were a dream just barely beginning to come to fruition, and Sattler was involved in lobbying efforts to ensure that NASA was not the primary entity involved in space travel.
“I was not really terribly interested in the mature industry of satellites or communications, I was more interested in what private entrepreneurs and companies were doing. Sometimes that involves working with NASA, but I was not necessarily interested in what the government itself was doing. To me, it has always been about recognizing that space is a place and not a government program,” she said.
And just like other places, there are laws that govern space. An outer space treaty signed by 88 nations, most of which have never launched a spacecraft, is the primary document that outlines what is or is not permissible once people and objects are launched into space from the Earth. It states that each nation is responsible for space activities and objects that originated there, regardless of whether a government or a private company initiated it.
But increasingly complex innovations give rise to new legal questions.
“I am very interested in space law policy. I have done a lot of work regarding property rights in space – not intellectual property, but actual property rights. If we land on the moon, or land on Mars, or lasso an asteroid to have it orbit the moon, how can we do that? What are the laws? These types of activities do not have to be dealt with here on Earth. However, most property rights on Earth are subject to a mature, legal regime, “she said.
At Posternak, Blankstein & Lund, where Sattler is a partner and Executive Committee Member, the Space Law Department also represents clients in cases more typically associated with business – insurance, employment matters and contract disputes, to name a few.
During Sattler’s career, she has represented companies working to improve the propulsion mechanisms for satellites and building spaceports (like an airport, she explains, but for space travel). She has counseled a spacesuit manufacturing company on liability and insurance issues. She is the Chair of the Board of Directors for the CompTIA Space Enterprise Council in Washington, D.C. CompTIA is a non-profit trade association, the goal of which is to advance the interests of Information Technology professionals. The Space Enterprise Council was founded in 2000 to represent businesses with an interest in commercial, civil and national security space.
“We have gone from these conceptual ideas that traditional aerospace professionals never thought were going to happen, to an industry where SpaceX is flying a commercial vehicle in lieu of the space shuttle to the International Space Station,” she said. “What goes along with that are a lot of issues that have never been legally tested before because we have never had an occasion.”
Currently, she said, companies are conducting medical and scientific research on the space station which is an international laboratory. Other private ventures have launched objects in space to search for water on asteroids, in hopes that they could convert them into hydrogen fuel stations. If vessels could refuel in space, she explains, they could travel much farther out. Another company is working on developing an inflatable structure that could eventually be inhabited by people.
“I think we need to explore farther out into the solar system and beyond. I guess it is manifest destiny,” she said.
Earlier in the month, on Wednesday, June 22nd, an orientation was held for the newest PILP Class (PILP 13). Spearheaded by the PILP 12 Class, a gathering of many of the 153 program alumni took place immediately following the orientation.
For this week’s “Voices of the Bar” column, we reached out to PILP alumni to ask:
“How has PILP impacted you?”
Christopher Saccardi – The Law Office of Christopher T. Saccardi
“I found my participation in PILP to be very rewarding, both personally and professionally. I enjoyed working closely with a diverse group of attorneys whom I would likely not otherwise have gotten to know. I am still in touch with many members of my former PILP class and find them to be good friends, helpful for discussing legal questions, and a value source of referrals. I also learned a lot about the BBA as a PILPer and have found its resources and staff to be very helpful to me in my own practice. Finally, I very much enjoyed the sessions we had with leaders of the Boston legal community, such as Chief Justice Gants and Attorney General Healey.”
Katherine Fick – IBM
“Being connected with a group of young lawyers who shared an interest in public service in the early days of my career was pivotal, as was learning from the more established lawyers we met with. It encouraged a broader perspective on what’s possible, and that has led to unexpected places. (By way of example, I [participated in] a training exercise in a remote part of Texas . . . in connection with ShelterBox, a disaster relief nonprofit I volunteer with. Heading to, e.g., Africa and South America to help with flood relief was not something I would have predicted ten years ago, but PILP helped encourage the unpredictable.)”
David McGowan – Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
“I appreciated forming lasting relationships with other attorneys who were committed to their fields of expertise, but also committed to serving the broader community in ways both large and small.”
Katherine Schulte – Casa Myrna
“PILP has been all about making connections. It was my first real inroad into the BBA community, which has led to many rewarding opportunities. But I’m also really grateful for the relationships I made with my PILP 10 classmates. They are bright, compassionate, ambitious, and really fun people who I continue to see in both professional and personal circles. I am fortunate to have made those connections through PILP.”
Julia Devanthéry – Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School
“I continue to work on the Community Reentry Readiness education program that my PILP class established with the District Court of Massachusetts. The program provides know-your-rights civil legal trainings to individuals leaving incarceration to support their community reentry. The program is now in its third year and has provided empowering information and resources to hundreds of people facing many difficult challenges in finding housing, obtaining subsistence income, seeking employment, restoring their driver’s license, managing child support obligations and debt. Participating in this program has been so fulfilling for me. It has allowed me to stay in touch with some of my PILP classmates, and connect with other BBA members who are interested in criminal justice reform movements.”
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of the Bar, make sure you send aheadshot, and contact Lauren DiTullio at lditullio@bostonbar.org.
The 4th of July is a big deal in Boston, with the Pops concert, fireworks display, and rich history of the city. But for all those who flock here to partake in Boston’s traditions, there are many traveling to Cape Cod, Rhode Island and other, far-flung locations this long weekend to celebrate our nation’s independence.
For this week’s “Voices of the Bar” column, we’re reaching out to ask:
“What are your plans for the 4th of July?”
Jonathan Elder – Hinckley Allen
“I still work in Boston, but my family and I left the city 5 years ago for the serenity (and square footage) of the North Shore. We’re looking forward to celebrating this 4th like we did the last: with friends on Crane’s Beach. Our town, Ipswich, also has a great parade, which our kids love. Ipswich is the “Birthplace of Independence” (and fried clams), so I’m sure the Founders would approve.”
Laurie Bishop – Hirsch Roberts Weinstein
“My wife and I will be in Deerfield, MA with our two dogs and two horses, visiting my best friend from law school. My friend and I are both expecting and looking forward to the new additions very soon. Fingers crossed for no surprise July 4 arrivals. ”
Andrew Glass – K & L Gates
“My family and I always have fun at the July 4th festivities in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Lincoln’s festivities help celebrate the spirit of community along with our nation’s independence and include a parade––where the members of the volunteer town government poke (gentle) fun at themselves––followed by a town cookout with live music and fireworks. It’s a day for remembering that we can achieve great ends when we all pull together and that a sense of humor is a good thing!”
Adam Eckart – Ropes & Gray
“My family and I will be celebrating the 4th of July on Cape Cod. We love the Cape because we enjoy the beaches, seeing family and friends, and relaxing away from the city. My kids, twins who are just over 1 year old, will be enjoying the sand and the water, and will be working on their sand castle sculpting with the help of their uncles and grandparents. We hope everyone has a fun, happy and safe 4th of July!”
Eugene Ho – Verrill Dana
“I’ll be spending the 4th with my family and friends, indulging in as many hot dogs and hamburgers as my stomach can handle. I’ll probably grab a few pies from my favorite bakery to “share”.”
Michael Vhay – Ferriter Scobbo & Rodophele
“I’m heading to Maine, which separated from Massachusetts in 1820. Mainers voted several times to leave Massachusetts before we agreed to let Maine go – there was no “Brexit” for the Pine Tree State. But I’m happy to be going to a place that can celebrate two Independence Days.”
Christopher Liedl – Ropes & Gray “Headed home to northern Minnesota for a few days on Whitefish Lake with my family. Looking forward to some butterburgers, frozen custard, small-town parades, and beach volleyball while spending time with my adorable niece and nephew!”
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of the Bar, make sure you send aheadshot, and contact Lauren DiTullio at lditullio@bostonbar.org.
How a former stable hand ended up at Pierce Atwood…and at the forefront of transactional law and animal cloning
Say the name “Dolly” and most people will think of the country singer or the child’s toy. Twenty years ago, however, the name immediately brought to mind Scotland’s most famous sheep.
July 5th marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first animal to be cloned from an adult cell, using the technique of somatic cell nuclear transfer. That event – called the “breakthrough of the year” by Science Magazine – set into motion a new phase of research, and a new area of transactional law. At the forefront was Will Worden, Partner-in-Charge at Pierce Atwood’s Boston office and one of the pioneering attorneys on transactions involving animal cloning technologies.
But how does a then-Portland based attorney find himself on the cutting edge of animal science? One could say it started with the Vietnam War.
“I grew up in a big family in Ware, Mass,” said Worden. “When I got out of high school, I went to Bridgewater State College for a year. It was during the Vietnam War, and all the turmoil that was going on. By the end of that year, I was a hippie and I dropped out. I ended up in a farm management apprentice program in Virginia.”
Not just any farm management program, but one that attracted 3,000 applicants a year for just 12 spots, and one that had earned a reputation for placing program participants into management positions at world class farms.
“I served an apprenticeship on a farm that was breeding Morgan horses and cattle, and growing thousands of acres of alfalfa hay, corn and soybeans. I learned everything about the farm’s ‘seasons’: breeding, foaling, calving, planting, and harvesting. I also learned about genetics. I was involved in cutting edge technology; we were breeding animals via embryo transfer, and I learned from people who were the best.”
After working his way up from stable hand to management positions at various farming operations, Worden was ultimately appointed general manager of Dearborn Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, one of the big thoroughbred breeding farms at the time. In an industry where management positions are often passed down from father to son, Worden’s new role was a significant achievement.
“When I got to Kentucky, I realized that I had achieved part of my goal, but I really wanted to have a college education. So I left and went to UMass Amherst and did an undergraduate degree in animal science in two years. I took a job as the general manager of a big farm in Virginia for two years, and then had the bug to further my education.”
After returning to UMass for a master’s degree in agriculture and resource economics, Worden was recruited by Drake University Law School, one of just two schools at the time with a program in agricultural law. While Worden intended to take that degree back to Virginia or Kentucky and the farms, he ended up on a different path.
“I did a summer associate program at Pierce Atwood, and then returned there after clerking for a federal trial judge for a couple of years,” explained Worden. “One morning I came into work, and there was a private placement memorandum on my desk with a note from one of the senior corporate partners. A big, world class poultry genetics farm had purchased a startup company out of UMass Amherst called Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), and the core technology of ACT was somatic cell nuclear transfer.
“The note read ‘Do you know any of the terminology or technology that’s talked about in this memo?’ I opened it up and I saw the names of professors whom I knew and had studied with at UMass, and that’s when I started working with animal cloning.”
This was in the late 1990s, when the world was talking about the birth of Dolly. Meanwhile, Worden was working with ACT, whose scientists – including James Robl, Steve Stice, and Jose Cibelli – famously cloned the Holstein calves George and Charlie.
“I actually met George and Charlie; they were created by UMass/ACT scientists, and were born in Texas. Shortly after they were born, George and Charlie came back to live in Amherst. What’s really interesting for me is that ACT improved the technology that was used to clone Dolly. After that, cloning actually became a business. Working with Dr. Mike West at ACT, I created a cloning services contract that was the first widely used commercial cloning services agreement. It was a brave new world.”
Worden’s role working with Advanced Cell Technology allowed him a close up view of how the technology was being used to improve lives.
“Scientists were looking at this technology as a way to improve the quality of meat and milk. The thing that was really interesting was that you could clone, say a Holstein, so that she would produce milk with a certain protein that could be extracted and used as a human therapeutic. It was the early years of regenerative medicine.”
Today, Worden remains on the cutting edge, working with clients, including with Dr. Mike West (now at BioTime, Inc.) in the commercialization of regenerative medicine technologies, including stem cell technologies. It’s an area that wouldn’t have developed without the science that led to Dolly, George and Charlie.
“I always thought the legal work that I was doing was laying a foundation for human medicine. It was groundbreaking work that I think contributed quite a bit. Now, here we are in 2016 and I think we’re within a short window of seeing real therapeutics hit the market from all this work, it’s pretty fascinating. I’m very proud to have worked on this.”
It’s summer time and the livin’ is easy. After a chilly spring that made winter seem even longer, we are all more than ready to break the beach chairs out of the basement and soak up some rays.
For this week’s “Voices of the Bar” column, we’re reaching out to ask:
“What is your favorite summer vacation spot?”
Chesley Davis – Peabody & Arnold
“I have two: Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina – for swimming and paddle boarding in warm ocean waters and go-karting with my family, which has been going there for more than 40 years. The other is Tenants Harbor, Maine – for the peace and quiet and eating lots of lobster, of course!”
Dana Zakarian – Nystrom Beckman & Paris “Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, Massachusetts.”
Richard Jones – Sullivan & Worcester
“Our family loves Nantucket. We ditch the car entirely for the week and bike to a different, beautiful beach each day from a mid-island rental (which will have reliable Internet access for work connectivity, sadly a prerequisite). When not at the beach we frequent the seaside restaurants, Bartlett’s Farm, and the Cisco Brewery. Despite Nantucket’s popularity, it is still easy to find stretches of empty beach where you can watch the seals pop up from the waves to watch you.”
Stacey Friends – Ruberto, Israel & Weiner
“My own town, Manchester-by-the-Sea.”
Claudia Centomini – Prince Lobel
“I spend my weekends during the summer in Vermont. We have a farm near Woodstock, Vermont where I can horseback ride and go hiking.”
Hon. Margaret Marshall (Ret.) – Former Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice; Choate, Hall & Stewart
“Anywhere in the triangle of Sienna, Urbino and Orvieto in Italy. Every year that I was on the Supreme Judicial Court, my husband and I spent three weeks in August somewhere in that magical region. It was personally and professionally restorative, year after year. It still is.”
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of the Bar, make sure you send aheadshot, and contact Lauren DiTullio at lditullio@bostonbar.org.
Daniel P. Dain – Dain, Torpy, Le Ray, Wiest & Garner, P.C. 
William E. Hannum III – Schwartz Hannum PC and Robert A. Fisher – Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Section Co-Chairs
J.W. Carney – Carney & Associates
Bruce Falby – DLA Piper
