Hey Matt Romney: See the First Black President of the Harvard Law Review

[jsmirman]

It was kind of amazing to check out this article online:

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/06/us/first-black-elected-to-head-harvard-s-law-review.html

It's worth a read.

To me, this just finishes off any argument they have about Obama's grades (ridiculous) or any such nonsense.

He was the freaking President of the Harvard Law - that's not an affirmative action type position, you know - seeing as he was the first black President ever.

I'm a law student. I know what getting that position means.

But let me explain it.

He could have had all F's at Columbia (absurd, I'm sure his grades were great), and that one line on his resume would mean he was set for life.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of law reviews. Seems like a step up from moot court and arguing about fake stuff when so much important real stuff is happening in the real world. And so, for me, I'd rather work on my own independent research, and am finishing something right now that I hope will be very important.

But I know what it means to be the President of the Harvard Law Review - and believe me, there are brilliant, talented, insanely-driven people all scrapping for that spot.

Obama could send them a business card - President, Harvard Law Review - and that should settle this all and shut them up. Who can pick among their ridiculous attacks, but this is surely one of the more desperate and ridiculous.

[jsmirman]

1. Bump - THIS IS A FUN ARTICLE TO READ

trust me.

[hifiguy]

2. Yep. I was there. Graduated with the FLOTUS.

Didn't make the Law Review but I was on the Civil Rights/Civil Liberties law review for three years.

My first boss in the legal profession? Jennifer Granholm, who was the CR/CL editor in chief my first year. Two brushes with future greatness.

And yes, President, Harvard Law Review will open any door in the profession and get you the red carpet treatment to boot.

[jsmirman]

3. And doesn't it make the grades chimera just completely ridiculous?

I mean, it really seems to me like argument opened, closed, shut.

And isn't that kind of a fun article to read?

(I don't know if everyone's seen it before, but I enjoyed stumbling across it during a google search)

Thanks for sharing your story!

[hifiguy]

4. It's absurd.

At the top schools, the quality control is all done at the input stage. You have to have sky-high college grades and a top LSAT, an incredibly compelling back story or, ideally, both, to get in.

When I was at HLS most people got Bs of some sort, no one flunked out, one guy quit in a huff in the middle of Civ Pro after two weeks, and everybody took it pretty easy by second year. That was in the days of a booming legal job market, however.

[jsmirman]

5. And yet to gun for the Pres of the Harvard Law Review

those are very specific people, no?

(as in, wasn't going to be me - I live for this stuff, but I don't have that kind of laser focus)

[trof]

6. My son-inlaw:

Virginia Law School.
The guy is absolutely brilliant.
I'm serious.
He's the smartest person I know.
Yale undergrad with honors.
It should go without saying he's also a liberal Democrat.

He made moot court, but not law review.
And it wasn't for lack of trying.
Obama is one smart feller.

[jsmirman]

7. Indeed

Yale Undergrad here, too (although I liked to proudly show off what I called my "clean diploma&quot - my undergrad Native American name was "He Who Fights With the Administration."

The people who had the top spots on the law review here - yeah, they kind of have their shit together in a way that I can only dream of.

[trof]

8. Year graduated?

And kindly explain 'clean diploma'.
Thanks

[jsmirman]

9. I'm sure I'm too old

it was more than 15 years ago.

"Clean diploma" meant nothing pesky like "cum laude" to muck things up.

I would have gotten with distinction in my major if it was just about my thesis, but then, it was, apparently, not just done on the basis of your thesis.

[trof]

10. Son-in-law is Yale class of '93.

[jsmirman]

11. What college?

That actually is in my date range! Although I may have been too much of a young irrelevant whippersnapper to have known him.

[trof]

12. Pierson, I think.

[jsmirman]

13. I'll pm you

I probably wouldn't know him, but one of my best friends was "Mr. Pierson" and probably would know him, if, indeed, he was in Pierson.

I knew some Pierson '94ers, but I don't think any '93's.

[trof]

14. OK. Yeah it was Pierson.