The
Personal Approach
As one of the youngest faculty members at BC Law, students find Mary-Rose Papandrea
to be very approachable and friendly. That fits right in with her teaching style,
which is based on what she calls the “soft Socratic” method.
“I expect the students to do the reading every day, and I call on students
at random,” she says. “But I'd like to think getting called on in
class is not particularly intimidating, because my goal is not to embarrass
the students but to help them understand difficult material…I make every
effort to ensure the students understand the "black letter law" so
that we can spend our time thinking about the more interesting policy implications
of various legal rules.”
Papandrea finds BC Law students to be incredibly supportive of each other, smart,
and engaging. “I welcome their frequent visits to my office because I
remember how difficult it can be to figure out how to study for a law school
exam, pick classes, or apply and interview for jobs and clerkships,” she
says. “But I have to admit that one of the greatest things about teaching
is getting to know the students outside of class.”
An expert in civil procedure, constitutional law, national securities/civil
liberties, defamation and privacy law, Papandrea says that what makes BC really
stand out from other law schools of its caliber is its emphasis on teaching.
Although all faculty are engaged in their scholarship, they spend equal amounts
of time preparing for class and meeting with students. “Professors are
generally in their offices five days a week and routinely entertain students
outside office hours,” she says. “The result is an atmosphere where
the students feel comfortable with, and not intimidated by, their professors.”