Editor's Note Vol 15 No. 1

Abstract

With great pride and bittersweet reflection, we present to you the first edition of Volume XV of the Boston College Bellarmine Law Society Review. This issue marks a milestone—not just in our publication’s journey, but in ours as editors, contributors, and graduating students. This is the fifth edition Tommy Dee and I have had the privilege of publishing together, and it is also our final one. This past Monday, alongside many of our fellow authors and associate editors, we graduated from Boston College. We are immensely grateful to have ended our time here with the publication of this powerful issue, and we thank our readers for being part of this journey. We owe special thanks to our graduating associate editors—William Dee, Jenna Gilhooly, Kelly Schomber, Alexander Shube, and Therese Sparacio—whose sharp editorial insight, tireless work, and enduring dedication have helped shape the Review into what it is today. 

In this edition, our authors tackle some of the most pressing legal and policy challenges of our time. Freshman Ines Hwang argues for stronger, more adaptive legal protections in the wake of COVID-19-era housing instability. Senior Julia Kuhn explores the climate-driven insurance crisis and proposes policy solutions to protect both economic stability and equitable access. Emily Riccardi examines how Airbnb’s platform design enables racial discrimination, calling for legal reform to meet the realities of the digital age. John Villa traces the evolution of federal minimum wage policy and advocates for a gradual increase supported by targeted tax credits. Finally, Benjamin Ward dissects the expanding reach of FISA surveillance and proposes a three-pronged strategy to better protect civil liberties.

Each of these works reflects the passion, rigor, and intellectual curiosity that define the Bellarmine Law Society. They represent not only scholarship but a commitment to justice, reform, and progress. We are thrilled to pass the baton to two of our most dedicated associate editors—Simon Hoefling and Jessica Orrell—who will serve as next year’s Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor, respectively. 

To our readers, thank you. Whether this is your first issue or your fifteenth, your engagement gives meaning to our efforts. As we turn the page on our time at Boston College, we do so with pride in this publication and confidence in the voices that will carry it forward.