Amid the summer’s skyrocketing temperatures, Brian Leary ’86—anchor of Boston’s "NewsCenter 5" 5:30 newscast—could be seen later in the evening than usual, coolly refereeing the debates among the candidates from Massachusetts’ Eighth congressional district, all vying for Joe Kennedy’s seat in the U.S. House. "That’s one of the areas of this business that actually benefits from my law school experience," says Leary of his role as moderator. "Having dealt with, whether it’s Phil Areeda [’54] or Charles Fried, in the classroom, nothing else seems as intimidating."

Winner in 1996 of broadcasting’s prestigious Peabody Award for his "exceptional" investigative reporting, Leary shares the Channel 5 spotlight with Arthur Miller ’58 on Monday nights, when he and the Law School professor take up one of the 30 or so legal cases referred to them by confounded citizens each week. In a career that often bears no resemblance to his sometime lawyerly pursuits, Leary says, "I’ve become a lawyer for Everyman."

Janet Hawkins