On Oct. 28, a panel of Massachusetts law school students interviewed Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell about the state of law and democracy and the evolving role of justice within it. 

Boston University’s law school hosted the dynamic discussion that drew law students from campuses across the state, including Northeastern’s. The fireside chat, Raising the Bar, featured Boston University law student Ivana Wijedasa, Northeastern law student Diamond Blaylock-Norris and Western New England University law student Tai Walker. Each university’s law school dean was also in attendance.

Campbell has served as the attorney general since 2023, making her the 45th attorney general and the first woman of color to hold statewide office in Massachusetts. Boston University School of Law Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig told the audience the event was sparked by growing concerns about the political tax on courts in the United States and the idea that no one is exempt from the law.

“The rule of law has become a partisan question,” Onwuachi-Willig said. She went on to say that law students need “the possibility of their profession to be grounded in justice and empathy.”

Speakers at the event said that many faculty and students feel compelled to take action to uphold democracy. This shared sense of purpose with Campbell fostered a passionate dialogue between a public servant and those who aspire to be like her. 

“I was delighted to be with law school students, and it’s the next generation of leaders … Lawyers are not only desperately needed, but required in this moment in time to maintain our Constitution, all of our democratic values, and, most importantly, to protect the most vulnerable, especially our kids,” Campbell said in an interview with The Huntington News.

The three law students took turns asking Campbell questions on a broad range of topics, including healthcare, immigration and consumer protection. Campbell’s responses often ended with a call to action for the next generation of lawyers sitting before her. 

“We need to find moments that bring us collective joy, happiness, hope — all of you chose to enter a very noble, incredible profession. Keep showing up, keep doing what you’re doing,” Campbell said.

The discussion began with a question about how identity and personal experiences shape Campbell’s legal decisions but quickly turned to more controversial topics. 

The students said most of the questions stemmed from fear of regressive laws that have emerged during President Donald Trump’s second term. Walker asked about the potential challenges that minority communities may now face in gaining access to the legal profession, such as systemic and racialized barriers to taking the bar exam.

Campbell said her office has filed “nearly 40” lawsuits intended to ensure law students continue to have safe access to the bar exam. While it is unclear which lawsuits she was referring to, her office has publicly filed lawsuits and led coalitions advocating for students’ rights and education-related issues. The overarching message Campbell gave was to celebrate their accomplishments as law students and continue standing for what they believe in. 

“It’s our collective effort that keeps us standing,” Campbell said. “Taking the bar exam, even when it feels like a scary time, is a powerful act.”

Students said this sentiment resonated with them during uncertain times. 

“My main takeaway tonight was just a reminder for law students that we have to keep pushing, stand up and go every day,”  Walker said in an interview with The News. “Attorney Campbell made it clear that we can’t change everything, but what we can do is keep showing up in our jobs, showing up at the school, and having that kind of hope for us to continue to just forget about all the other noise.”

The three moderating students then asked about immigrant rights, courthouse arrests and what measures are being taken to protect those seeking citizenship in Massachusetts. Campbell said not to discount the power of standing up and mobilizing with immigrants and “challenging this narrative that every immigrant is somehow a criminal and creating public safety issues.”

“If you don’t have immigrants, this state, like many others, would crumble to its knees economically,” Campbell said. 

She emphasized that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is perpetuating fear and eroding public trust, especially with law enforcement. She noted that her office used “the full weight of its power” to locate Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts student taken to an ICE detention center in Louisiana earlier this year. 

“If it can happen on the streets of Massachusetts, it can happen anywhere,” Campbell said. “This is the time when folks should be demanding that their public officials step up.” 

Campbell spoke about many healthcare issues, including reproductive rights and gender-affirming care. She mentioned that her office consistently puts out guidance and information on accessing safe reproductive healthcare. Campbell also said that she recently passed the Shield Act 2.0 to protect reproductive healthcare providers and patients who receive care in other states. 

Campbell advised students to think intersectionally, especially when it comes to reproductive healthcare, citing paternal health and the high mortality rate Black women experience while giving birth. She said that, as lawyers, the most effective way to help those seeking reproductive or gender affirming care is to protect patient data and privacy while expanding access and affordability. 

The final topic addressed student rights and free speech on campuses. Campbell acknowledged that students have been “penalized and criminalized” for exercising their right to free speech on and off campus while protesting a range of issues. 

She stressed the importance of the First Amendment, warning that without it “we’re in trouble of becoming like the countries we’ve at times criticized for not allowing their citizens to speak out.” 

Though attendance was scattered, the audience of primarily law students, was engaged throughout the discussion, leaning in to hear and avidly taking notes on Campbell’s advice. Professors, deans and students hung around after the event to speak with one another about the elaborate conversations they just heard. 

“It’s essential to learn from the people who are on the ground and doing the work,” said first-year Northeastern Law student Molly O’Connor. “When you’re speaking to officials in government, they oftentimes seem so distant and extricated from what we’re doing, so being able to be in the same room as someone, listen to someone, see how they interact with our peers, with amazing people like our deans, it’s really important to learn from them.”