FALL 2025
Thinking Like a Lawyer, Caring Like an Eagle
More than 50 years ago, Tom Flaherty, JD’75, chose Boston College Law School for its academic reputation. But what he gained as a student went far beyond rigorous coursework. From his peers and his professors, he also gained a caring and compassionate community. “BC Law didn’t just teach me how to think like a lawyer,” he says. “It taught me to care like an Eagle.”
In gratitude, he established a charitable gift annuity (CGA) through his IRA, allowing him to support future generations of Eagles while he benefits from tax advantages and steady income today.
As a BC Law student, Flaherty thrived in and out of the classroom. He recalls spending 30 to 40 hours a week as editor-in-chief of the Boston College Law Review, balancing late nights in the office with classes, friendships, and fun. “I learned I could juggle a lot at once,” he says. “It was hard work, but it never felt like I had to give up the other parts of the law school experience that made it meaningful.”
The professors who left a lasting mark on his legal journey include BC Law legends. Richard Sullivan’s labor law class set the course for Flaherty’s career in labor and employment law. Len Strickman’s constitutional law course “opened my mind and taught me how to really think like a lawyer,” Flaherty says. And Paul McDaniel “made tax courses interesting,” he adds with a smile.
Today, Flaherty continues to carry forward the values he absorbed at BC Law through his philanthropy. “For me, a CGA was the way to make a larger gift than I could have given outright,” he explains. “Plus, I get tax benefits and steady income. But most importantly, it lets me support a place that continues to stand for more than academics—it stands for community, ethics, and a desire to improve the legal system overall.”
A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY is a great way to receive income for life and show your support for Boston College.
More from this edition
Real Estate Gifts to Boston College
Whether it’s a home, vacation property, farmland, or commercial building, your gift can make a lasting impact on BC students, faculty, and programs you care about.
Nest Egg
John Kozarich ’71 transferred the title of his home in Rancho Sante Fe, Calif., to Boston College. It’s a gift that provides him with a significant tax deduction now and guarantees long-term support for BC.
Solid Foundation
Whether it was your off-campus apartment junior year with friends or a one-story fixer-upper a decade or more later, you never forget your first place, no matter what condition it was in when you signed the paperwork. The excitement around getting the keys. Figuring out how to set up your belongings. Feeling too energized to sleep that first night, because all you can think is, “This is mine!”
SEE FOR YOURSELF
Use our free online calculator to explore what a charitable gift annuity can do for you.
*Payment deferred until age 60
