Health Law Leader

Alyssa Boss ’97 graduated with RWU Law’s second law school class and she hasn’t stopped learning since. As Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Care New England Health System (CNE), Boss finds challenges every day on the job in keeping up with changes in health law. “It’s just rapidly evolving,” she says. “Regulations are changing all the time.”

A network of hospital buildings sits outside Boss’s Providence office. “It’s challenging, and I like challenges,” she says. “This enables me to be exposed to medicine and science, the people who work in it, and to learn about and support what they do in a way that’s very fulfilling for me.”

Surprisingly, working in the health care system isn’t what some TV dramas make it out to be. “The hospital lawyer running around dealing with end-of-life decisions” is far from the real thing, Boss says. “What we do is contracts, research on regulatory issues and advising all of our internal clients. It’s not the bio-ethical role that some people picture.”

Boss transitioned to CNE from one of Rhode Island’s most prominent private law firms. “I was really proud of making partner at Hinckley Allen before coming here. It’s a great firm,” she says. “I feel so fortunate to be where I am. I’ve been helped along by a lot of great people.” She counts a handful of mentors who’ve helped shape her career, including former General Counsel of CNE and RWU Law Board of Director Connie Howes as well as law school professor Anthony Santoro.

“Connie really helped by being a role model to me. She was someone that I wanted to emulate,” says Boss. “Professor Santoro pushed me to think of myself achieving more than I had pictured myself achieving,” during law school and beyond.

“For me Roger Williams was an opening to go to law school. I’ve been reengaging with the University in recent years through participation in the externship program.” Boss has had several RWU law students working with her for years through the program, and has one currently working under her."