Rappaport Center For Law And Public Policy

The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School convenes the region’s policy makers and thought leaders to engage in dynamic discussions on critical public policy issues. Through forums, conferences, and symposia, experts from government, business, academia, and the nonprofit sector address challenging and complex societal issues. To inspire future public leaders, the Rappaport Center has a Fellows Program for exceptional, public-service focused law students. The Rappaport Fellows Program affords 12 law students from eight Massachusetts law schools the opportunity to work in a state or local government agency during the summer. The Fellows receive educational programming, a generous stipend, and mentoring from Rappaport Center Advisory Board members and prior Rappaport Fellows. The alumni Rappaport Fellow network spans across 17 cohorts from 2001-2018 and provides premier professional connections. Each week, the Fellows participate in experiential learning opportunities to get an in-person perspective of the intersection of law and public policy. To further encourage future public servants, the Rappaport Center hosts a Distinguished Visiting Professor each semester at Boston College Law School. Past Rappaport Distinguished Visiting Professors include former Maryland Governor, Martin O’Malley; former U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Carmen Ortiz; and Hon. Geraldine S. Hines, Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (retired). The Rappaport Center’s Distinguished Visiting Professor for the fall 2018 semester is Hon. Robert J. Cordy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court (retired). The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy was established through a gift from the Phyllis & Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation and is committed to education, public service, and leadership.