winter 2026
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suffolk law scene
On an evening last spring in Suffolk Law’s moot courtroom, retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Christopher Muse, JD ’76, stood before a gallery of alumni, judges, and new lawyers to announce a scholarship honoring his younger brother Peter Muse, JD ’81, a criminal defense attorney who believed that trial work was not a zero-sum game.
“He never believed winning was the be-all and end-all,” Judge Muse said. “He was focused on how you represented someone; how professional, how ethical—and how human and humane—you were in the process.”
Supporting Public Service Advocates
The Muse family has raised nearly $50,000 for the Peter Muse scholarship—aimed at building a coalition of alumni and friends who are committed to increasing the number of students pursuing careers in public service trial work.
“Peter’s career was defined by intensity inside the courtroom and humor and graciousness outside it,” Judge Muse added. Peter handled more than 50 murder trials, building a reputation as the kind of adversary you wanted to be around—win or lose—because of his professionalism and humanity.
More than a quarter of the state’s judges are Suffolk Law alumni—a point of pride for Judge Muse, who praises the Law School’s hands-on trial advocacy program. He hopes the scholarship will allow more students to feel confident they have the financial resources to maintain the Law School’s tradition of public service trial work.
“We want them to follow their hearts into working in the courts—make it easier for students to pursue jobs that aren’t necessarily as high-paying. Suffolk students want to serve and their communities urgently need them,” Judge Muse said.
The family’s fundraising effort was announced during the 2025 McLaughlin-Muse Trial Advocacy Competition—an annual bracket-style moot court for young public service trial attorneys from across multiple counties. Suffolk Law has committed to hosting the moot court annually.
Prosecutor Paul McLaughlin, JD ’81, Peter’s classmate and the other namesake of the competition, turned down higher-paying jobs to serve his Boston community. He was assassinated in 1995 by a gang leader he was set to prosecute the next day.
Peter Muse, who passed away in 2012, and Paul McLaughlin would have celebrated their 45th Law School reunion at the upcoming June 4 reunion event. Fundraising toward Peter’s scholarship will be a focus for Judge Muse leading up to the campus gathering. For more information about the scholarship in Peter’s name, please email npgalindo@suffolk.edu.
Peter Muse, JD '81, with his father, Robert Muse, JD '50
Photograph courtesy of the Muse family
SAVE THE DATE
Law Reunion Dinner and Awards Ceremony
Thursday, June 4, 2026 6-9 p.m.
Sargent Hall, 120 Tremont St., Boston