Student Life

Breaking Law Review Barriers

Incoming Law Review editor Crystal Hsu (’25) draws inspiration from pioneering editor-in-chief Clara Burrill Bruce (1926)

“A big draw of why I ran for editor-in-chief was that I knew it was the 100^th anniversary of the first woman of color and African American woman editor-in-chief at BU—and of any law review in the nation,” Hsu says. “BU has a lot of records of breaking barriers.” Hsu pointed out that another woman of color, Manal Corwin (’91), served as editor-in-chief in 1990–1991. Corwin’s parents are Egyptians and she grew up speaking Arabic.

Hsu initially agreed to seek the editor role only because her friends insisted she should lead the 55-student Law Review staff. “I think they kind of manifested it,” she says. “They just kept having this ongoing joke: ‘When you’re editor-in-chief of the Law Review…’ I didn’t take it seriously until around November or December, when I was really thinking through what a law review does. I realized how law reviews and legal journals have such an impact on shaping thought in the field.”

People with privilege, knowledge, and language skills typically drive discussions and determine policy, she says. Those who lack that status and opportunity remain voiceless—and, often, powerless. “I’ve constantly been in tension with that,” Hsu says. “What ultimately made me decide to run for editor-in-chief was that I really wanted to have a guiding role in shaping the publications we put out and in shaping the Law Review in general. With my experiences and background, I have a perspective that could lend itself to make the Law Review a more equitable and inclusive place.”

Hsu was raised in a multicultural environment that included vibrant Latino and Chicano populations; refugees; people with undocumented status; and first-, second-, and third-generation immigrants. “Growing up in El Paso, [Texas], was really formative for my understanding of the world and my expectations for how a community should be,” she says. When Hsu was selected to lead the Law Review, her parents, who are immigrants, weren’t aware of its significance. “My family couldn’t understand the essays I wrote after grade school, so I had to explain what a law review is in fragments of Mandarin and English,” she says. “It is very emblematic of … my constant striving to communicate with people.”

The percentage of law students who identify as Asian is in the single digits but rising; 9.6% of law students who enrolled in 2023 were Asian, according to the ABA, up from 8.1% in 2021. Asians account for about 6.3% of the US population. BU’s Law Review has two Asian-American leaders responsible for the main operations of the journal: Hsu and Karen Yao (’25), the senior managing editor.

Each Law Review issue is about 250 pages, and the editorial team produces seven issues a year and hosts an annual legal symposium. Staff selection is based on a writing competition, grades, and a personal statement. Hsu and Yao oversee the editorial review process—selecting content, coordinating notes from student editors, and ensuring production deadlines are met. These duties along with others are like those involved in running a small- to mid-size law firm, says Law Review faculty advisor James E. Fleming, the Honorable Paul J. Liacos Professor of Law. Although the articles editors select each issue’s content, the editor-in-chief and senior managing editor set the publication’s priorities and overall direction, he says.

When Alejandro Perez (’25), the executive editor, suggested honoring Bruce by naming the writing competition to join publications in her honor, Hsu enthusiastically agreed. “Every day people come to me with fantastic ideas that only make this experience so much more wonderful,” she says. “It’s all of us coming together and hearing each other’s ideas and implementing them. I realize I have so much power to do that now more than I ever have in my life.”

Hsu did not plan to study law after she earned her undergraduate degree in neuroscience and physiology from the University of California San Diego in 2020. She worked in a research lab and in public health, analyzing data to identify barriers to medical care for people affected by poverty, homelessness, HIV, and AIDS. “Again, I saw that tension between people who have the language, the privilege, and the opportunities to articulate theoretical and powerful ideas that can shape tangible societal actions, in contrast with people who have no access to that language, privilege, or opportunity,” she says. “I always keep in the back of my head the human component that’s driving it all.” A passion for advocacy helped inspire her pivot to law school.

Her BU Law health justice practicum with Boston Medical Center encourages doctors, social workers, nurses, and lawyers to collaborate to serve pregnant women struggling with or recovering from substance abuse. Called Project RESPECT, “it’s made me realize just how many applications the law can have,” Hsu says. “You’re able to work across disciplines, which has always been really appealing to me. And a lot of research shows that problem-solving is best done when there’s more diversity and in teams of interdisciplinary people. I think that that’s not only more fun, but it can also lead to better and more holistic solutions.”

Hsu’s commitment to diversity is just one of her many admirable attributes, says Gerry Muir, BU Law’s associate dean for academic engagement. “She has been a mentor through her leadership in the Law Review, her leadership with the lawyering fellows, and just her integrity as a person,” Muir says. “She is not someone who would ever seek out recognition yet so deserves to be recognized. My hope is that she will be seen—and she will let others know it’s OK to be seen.”

A correction was made on July 15, 2024: 

An earlier version of this article did not specify Crystal Hsu’s East Asian American identity, which has now been included. We also added that another woman of color served as editor-in-chief of the Law Review for the 1990–1991 academic year: Manal Corwin, whose parents are from Egypt.