Westside Story – Harvard Law School

Having commenced my quest to become a writer back in November of 2010, I am certain my long-term readers would agree that as I push toward 400 published articles, I have written about a wide variety of subjects. Some topics were political. Some topics were comical. Some were personal. Some were supportive of our citizens, young and old alike. Some topics were observational.

There is a subject I have never communicated to anyone either verbally or via Westside Story.

Even most my closest friends do not know. It is time for me to come clean; toot my own horn, if you will.

I went to Harvard Law School.

I have never worn a Harvard Law School shirt or class ring, nor do I display one of those car window college decals. I always wanted to be low profile.

There are a lot of reasons for having never told anyone.

1. I did not want to appear braggadocio.
2. If prospective employers learned I went to Harvard Law School, they might think I was overqualified for the job I was applying for.
3. I wanted to avoid having people think I considered myself better than then everyone else.

Going to Harvard Law School is not really too big a surprise for those who have known me most of my life. I studied Business Law in high school. I took Business Law and Law and Society Classes from Professor John Prins at the University of Puget Sound. I tutored law at the undergraduate level at the University of Puget Sound.

In the 1980s I took the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) without even preparing. I never cracked a book, nor did I take a LSAT prep course. My LSAT score clearly documented my level of preparation.

In case you are feeling perplexed and confused by learning that I went to Harvard Law School, allow me to hasten to add when I say “I went to Harvard Law School.” I am using the word went like Pancho of the Cisco Kid, a 1950s black and white TV show would use the word went. As Pancho is famous for saying, “Cisco, let’s went.”

So, when you get right down to it, while it is true I went to Harvard Law School, I have to be honest in telling you that I did not attend Harvard Law School and I readily admit there is a significant difference between went and attend.

Yes, during one of my trips to the East Coast to visit friends and family in Boston, Massachusetts, I went on a tour of the Harvard Law School campus.

While on campus I noticed a class was about to start. The class, which was titled Property Rights, was held in one of those stadium style classrooms you may have seen in the movie, Paper Chase. There are rows of desks radiating out from the focal point of the law professor’s desk and speaker’s podium. Whiteboards cover the wall behind the professor. The desks rose in ever-ascending levels of bleacher style seating.

I thought I might learn something more about property rights I could share with Lakewood City Council before they annihilate the property rights of Lakewood citizens (property owners and renters) with their infamous project known as the Rental Inspection Program (RIP).

As the students entered the room, I walked up to the professor who was standing next to his desk. He was busy being charming to an attractive young female law student half his age. He was not about to acknowledge my presence. When she walked off I had to initiate the contact, even though I was standing within 4’ of him.

“Excuse me. I am a visitor to the campus and was wondering if I might sit in to observe your Property Rights class?”

The professor looked at me and using carefully selected words from his tiny inflexible legally trained mind, said, “I would rather that you not.” He had no idea who I was. Maybe I was a prospective student. Maybe I planned to give $10,000,000 to the law school. He had no idea. This master of human relations blew it.

While I was both surprised and disappointed, I was on his turf, so I replied with, “I will comply with your wishes.”

I always try to turn a negative into a positive. Do you know what is cool about this true story? I can now tell all my friends, and I will, “I was kicked out of Harvard Law School.”

I know my pals will be impressed knowing they have a friend who has a former connection with Harvard Law School.

Maybe I will start wearing a Harvard Law School sweatshirt. I might get one of those car Harvard Law School window stickers.

Awww yes. It always feels great to be a legend in your own mind.