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Boston University School of Law (BU Law), with four LLM programs, as well as a Two-Year LLM program, offers one of the most extensive course catalogs of any law school in the country. BU Law consistently rank among the best, in areas such as Health Law and Intellectual Property (#3 and #8 respectively in US News & World Report). In 2024’s LLM Guide, BU Law was named among the nation’s top 10 for US Tax Law, Banking & Financial Law, and Online and Hybrid LLMs.
Rankings and course selection aside, it’s BU Law’s people that define it. The faculty are scholars who publish in respected academic presses and journals, contributors to legislative, judicial, and policy-making decisions in the US and abroad, and mentors who’ve walked many paths to professional success.
Since the school’s founding in 1872, they have inspired and empowered many talented students to achieve their own aspirations. And this being BU Law, this means success in virtually every legal field.
It all starts with a single conversation or even a chance encounter in a hallway with these global influencers. As interactions with faculty go, these are never forgettable. They have ignited careers, redefined ambitions, and triggered profound life pivots. Below, three students share the stories of their defining moments at BU Law.
Kim, an LL.M. in American Law student specializing in Intellectual Property, is a U.S. attorney (District of Columbia).
Bohyun Kim
Bohyun Kim has had an illustrious career straddling law, public health, and international trade. She first joined Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea before taking on various roles in the health sector within a law firm, international organizations, academic institutions, and a government agency. In 2017, Kim became Deputy Director at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, specializing in international trade negotiations. During the pandemic, she was seconded to the Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the Republic of Korea, where she leveraged her expertise in health and law.
Kim’s had a prolific run. But after seven years of high-level policymaking, she realised that she wanted to elevate her expertise and knowledge in a way that better aligned with her strengths and aspirations to serve the public. She chose to pursue an LL.M. in American Law with a concentration in Intellectual Property at BU Law School and is in the process of applying for a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) degree, focusing on developing digital health law, regulations, and policy frameworks. “I chose BU Law for its strong health law and intellectual property programs, as well as Boston’s status as a global hub for life sciences, interdisciplinary research, and collaboration,” she says.
What she didn’t expect, though, was a “consistent” feeling of faculty, colleagues, and staff “genuinely rooting” for her. “This is the first time I’ve ever experienced such unwavering support in a higher education setting — not merely through words, but through tangible actions,” she says.
Reflecting on this “remarkable culture of support,” Kim has seen this “spirit of encouragement and care permeate every corner of the law school.” A chat with Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig shed some insight. “Her leadership exemplifies a commitment to creating a community where everyone feels they belong,” she says. “Her focus on fostering both academic rigor and a supportive environment is deeply felt and experienced in our everyday lives on campus.”
Moved, Kim, a veteran government leader, says she hopes to contribute to nurturing this spirit of support “in any way” she can.
The faculty’s ability to capture their audience and apply real-world experience to the subject matter was very helpful for Jonathan Ray Tate. Source: Boston University
Jonathan Ray Tate
For Jonathan Ray Tate, a General Counsel at Vantage Bank Texas, professional growth meant expanding his knowledge base and skillset. Having been with the bank for nearly 12 years, he turned to BU Law’s online LLM in Banking and Financial Law to gain a broader understanding of his industry and add more value to his organization’s expansion plans.
Halfway through the program, all faculty members lived up to his expectations – with many making a “positive impact” on Tate. “I recall reaching out to Professors Francis C. Morrissey, Michael Refolo, and Craig W. Kaylor several times to discuss questions involving Article 9, consumer law, or the bankruptcy code,” he says. “Their patience and clarity helped me connect theory to practice and, more importantly, to be able to use it in my everyday work.”
One of the most transformative moments in his studies came when Director Kevin J. Handly assigned his class a merger project. “The trust he placed in us to source information and build professional connections boosted my confidence in my research abilities and capacity to work independently,” Tate says.
He is just as grateful for everything Lorraine E. Kaplan, Associate Director for Graduate and Online Programs, has done for him. “She’s been there for me at every step — I always find an excuse to call and share a laugh,” Tate says.
Currently, Christine Roberts works on estate plans that ensure retirement savings and other assets are transferred smoothly between generations. Source: Boston University
Christine Roberts
Coming from a background in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), Christine Roberts transitioned into estate planning in 2023. To boost her understanding of the field, she first joined BU Law’s Estate Planning Certificate before deciding to pursue the full LLM in Taxation (Online) as it was easy to transfer credits from the certificate to the LLM program.
“Having an LLM in Taxation will allow me to focus my remaining years of practice on work I enjoy most: navigating tax issues within more complex estate plans, and charitable trusts. I really enjoy the room for creativity in those areas of practice,” she says.
Robert’s experience at BU Law not only deepened her understanding of taxation but also enhanced her practical skills in the field. “I appreciate Professor Charles W. Maurer’s engaging teaching style. He made tax cases more engaging by exploring their history and how court perspectives change from Tax Court to appeals,” she says. “He also made us appreciate the difference between a case decided at the Tax Court level versus one on appeal and the differing perspectives the courts have in each setting.”
His approach strengthened her analytical thinking as well. “I went from giving simple ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses to providing much more detailed, reasoned analyses of tax issues. His approach basically taught me to think like a tax lawyer,” she says.
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