Challenges abound, calling for leaders who are eager to lean in and lead forward to address society’s most demanding problems. At Northeastern Law, we continue to unequivocally embrace the core values that have guided, sustained and motivated our community since our founding. In this issue of our magazine, you will find stories of inspiring people with relentless drive and of programs and strategies for meeting the needs of society while ensuring the rule of law prevails.

In no arena has this challenge been more evident than the battle for LGBTQ+ equality and community support. Mary Bonauto ’87, who in January received from President Biden the Presidential Citizens Medal, embodies the leadership needed in our time. Mary is just one of the many LGBTQ+ advocates who have graduated from this law school and gone on to become leaders in their field and in our society. On the fringes of what was thought possible, Mary fought for years to legalize same-sex marriage in New England and across the nation. Ultimately, Mary argued before the US Supreme Court in the historic case Obergefell v. Hodges, which established the right to marry for same-sex couples nationwide. Also in this magazine, you’ll read about how Chase Strangio ’10 recently broke new ground as the first openly transgender person to argue before the Supreme Court. As our cover story explains, we owe our leadership in training LGBTQ+ legal leaders to both the progressive environment we have cultivated for decades and the students who pushed our law school to embrace this cause. Those students needed our school just as much as our school needed them. It was — and is — a symbiotic relationship.

In this issue, you’ll find stories of personal injury lawyers who defy stereotypes and use their formidable skills to serve the public interest by taking on the powerful. You’ll read about our people and programs dedicated to addressing Black land loss, developing a guide to assist whistleblowers, forming a new collaborative with Tufts Medical Center to analyze data from tens of thousands of medical devices to identify safety risks and craft legal tools to address them, and more. We are thrilled to share news of our recently launched Center for Global Law and Justice, and we are eager for you to read about the many accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students. Another outstanding exemplar of leading forward is Professor Elettra Bietti, a faculty affiliate for our Center for Law, Information and Creativity, whose work on the role of antitrust law in structuring the tech field has garnered excitement among our students, who will help shape the future in this area. You’ll also read about Legal Design: Dignifying People in Legal Systems, edited by the staff of our NuLawLab, a groundbreaking new book on innovative frameworks for the delivery of legal services.

The world around us is rapidly changing, and challenges abound. That is why we must lean in. We must use our legal skills and imagination to push ahead for a more just society. When Mary Bonauto graduated from law school, marriage equality for same-sex couples was, at most, a distant hope. Yet today, it is the law of the land. As Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”