Goodwin Alumni Week

Volunteerism Event: Martin’s Park

Alumni volunteered with former colleagues at Martin’s Park, a children’s park at the edge of Boston’s Fort Point Channel, built to celebrate the life and spirit of eight-year-old Martin Richard, who was killed in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Volunteers helped with park cleanup, garden maintenance, trash pickup, and some painting.

Alumni Insights: What It’s Like to Be In-House

Our panelists of alumni revealed why and when they made the move in-house, unraveling the rewards and challenges of their roles as they offered candid advice for anyone contemplating a similar move. Attendees left this event with authentic, first-hand guidance to inspire their next career step.

Panelists:
Maya Fe Holzhauer, General Counsel, Cardiovascular Associates of America 
Robyn Schwartz, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Blue Cross Blue Shield 
Ryan Thompson, General Counsel and Partner, Felicis

Moderator:
Marty Gomez, Life Sciences Partner, Goodwin

Volunteerism Event: Rosie’s Place

Alumni volunteered with former colleagues at Rosie’s Place, a multi-service community center that offers emergency shelter, meals, and other resources to women in the Boston area, to prepare and serve meals for those in need.

Volunteerism Event: Room to Grow

Alumni volunteered with former colleagues at Room to Grow, a program that provides parents and caregivers with essential baby and toddler items, strategies and support to promote their children’s development, and connections to community resources that can meaningfully expand their support network. Volunteers assisted in sorting donated supplies for recipients.

Volunteerism Event: DOROT

In the company of former colleagues, alumni were invited to the New York office to create birthday cards for the elderly. Named after the word for “generations” in Hebrew, DOROT is a non-profit organization that focuses on serving older adults and fostering connections between generations.

DC Area Alumni Open House

Alumni in the DC area were welcomed back for an “open house” celebration at the Penthouse in the Washington, DC office. This event set the stage for alumni to reconnect with and share fond memories with former colleagues and current Goodwin lawyers.

Volunteerism Event: Franklin Park Zoo

Alumni volunteered with former colleagues at Franklin Park Zoo, a 72-acre public zoo located in Boston’s historic Franklin Park, to assist in cleaning the zoo grounds.

Milestone 20^th Year Reunion

Alumni lawyers who started in 2005 were welcomed back to the Boston office to celebrate their milestone 20th year reunion. Attendees rekindled old memories, made new ones, and celebrated the achievements they’ve made since their time at Goodwin. Attendees were invited to tour Goodwin’s office in the heart of the Boston Seaport and enjoy a festive reception that will took them on a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Volunteerism Event: Cathleen Stone Island

Alumni volunteered with former colleagues at Cathleen Stone Island, a private island near Boston, to facilitate trail maintenance and assist in camp and beach clean-up.

Alumni Gathering: Boston Red Sox vs. Yankees

Rounding out Alumni Week 2025, alumni watched the Boston Red Sox take on the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. 

Goodwin Alumni Authors Corner

Goodwin has a number of successful authors among its alumni. Our panel of distinguished alumni authors shared what inspires them to write, what it’s like to navigate the writing process as first-time authors, and how they balance writing with a legal career. Featured alumni authors included:

Daniel Dain
A History of Boston

Daniel Medwed
Barred: Why the Innocent Can’t Get Out of Prison

Tracy Sierra
Nightwatching*

*Selected as the featured book in Jimmy Fallon’s spring 2024 Fallon Book Club!

Volunteerism Event: Martha’s Table

Alumni joined former Goodwin colleagues to support access to healthy food and volunteer at the Grocery Market. As market volunteers, they supported shoppers with their groceries, restocked inventory, and interacted with community members.

Volunteerism Event: Foster Love

Alumni joined former Goodwin colleagues to decorate Sweet Case duffle bags for children in foster care. Many children entering foster care receive a trash bag to gather their belongings and move to their new homes. Sweet Cases help children enter foster care with the dignity they deserve.

Fireside Chat: Goodwin Alum James Parker and Firm Chair Anthony McCusker

Goodwin’s Chair Anthony McCusker led a discussion with Goodwin alum James Parker, general counsel for the Boston Celtics, on James’ career trajectory and how his time at Goodwin prepared him for his in-house career as general counsel for the Boston Celtics.

Volunteerism Event: National Park Service

Alumni joined former Goodwin colleagues at one of our national parks for a morning of cleanup and beautification.

Volunteerism Event: Humane Rescue Alliance

Alumni and former Goodwin colleagues made snuffle mats for rescued animals. These interactive mats allow animals to sniff out hidden treats. Fun challenges like snuffle mats help keep animals happy and engaged while they wait to be adopted!

Goodwin Alumni Family Day at the Boston Red Sox

Rounding out Goodwin Alumni Week 2024, our alumni and their families enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at Fenway Park to watch the Boston Red Sox play the Washington Nationals. 

A View from the Senior Seat: Goodwin Alumni in Senior Counsel In-House Roles

Our panel of alumni serving in senior counsel roles at various corporations discussed their time at Goodwin, the differences between being in-house versus at a law firm, what they think law firms do well (...and not so well), what career advice they would share with others considering a similar career transition from a law firm, and more.

Panelists:
Kristy Coleman, Senior Counsel, Airbnb
Amy Danzis, Assistant General Counsel, MetLife
Jodi Kalagher, Senior Counsel, Philip Morris Global Brands Inc.
Vivian Wong, Principal Counsel and Senior Manager, Apple Pay & Wallet

Making the Leap: From Practicing Lawyer to Business Professional

Alternative legal careers are on the rise and provide an opportunity for lawyers to be impactful in careers outside of the billable hour.

Our dynamic group of alumni, who pivoted from traditional legal practices to unique and interesting professional roles across industries, discussed how they were able to identify their interests outside of law and make the leap to pursue opportunities that have allowed them to leverage their legal backgrounds along with other technical and transferable skills. Panelists also shared their thoughts on transitioning from a practicing lawyer to a business professional in non-traditional legal roles and provide career advice for anyone considering an alternative path

Panelists:
Katie Aldrich, Director of Coaching and Program Strategy, Fringe Professional Development
Heather Dietrick, CEO, The Daily Beast
Stephanie Dworkin, Director of Client Success, Paladin, PBC
Lisa M. Kahlman, Executive Director, Public Policy and Public Affairs, Ultragenyx
Nicholas Reider, Senior Vice President, Deputy D&O Product Leader – West, Financial Services Group, Aon
Arianne Waldron, Attorney, First Circuit Court of Appeals

A Fireside Chat with Goodwin Alum Jason Kwon, General Counsel, OpenAI and Goodwin Firm Chair-Elect, Anthony McCusker

Goodwin Chair-Elect Anthony McCusker sat down with Goodwin alum Jason Kwon for a fireside chat discussing Jason’s career trajectory and how his time at Goodwin prepared him for his in-house career as General Counsel at OpenAI. Jason spoke to his personal legal journey and all things AI, including how AI will continue to drive our society in unforeseen ways, how it is changing our relationship with knowledge, and what this technology means for us all.

Goodwin Alumni Family Day at The Boston Red Sox

Play ball! Our alumni and their families spent the day at Fenway Park to watch the Boston Red Sox take on the St. Louis Cardinals.