Letters
In Support of Military Service
I just received my copy of the Harvard Law Bulletin. Having been a
student at HLS after serving in the military during a politically
divisive war, I wish to thank you heartily for publishing Capt. Nick
Brown's Letter
from Baghdad as part of your public service edition.
Whatever one may think about war in general or the advisability or
implementation of a particular war, it seems that the institution of war
is likely to continue as an instrument of general political policy far
into the future. Soldiers, sailors and marines such as Capt. Brown are
sometimes in the position of having to implement national policy through
their service in hostile foreign lands. Unfortunately, that service is
dangerous and often tedious and isolating, punctuated only by
intermittent military attacks. In this particular case, their service
has been subjected to an unprecedented level of often hostile public
scrutiny from our national press.
Undoubtedly, service life under such conditions must often be difficult
for Capt. Brown and his compatriots. Certainly, their service is far
different from arguing a legal point before the United States District
Court or the Circuit Court of Appeals in the relative safety of a
courtroom of a relatively well-ordered constitutional republic. Even so,
Capt. Brown sounds as though he's handling his situation well and is
quite proud of his service. I commend him for it. I commend the Bulletin
for sharing his experience with us.
James M. Behnke '81
Boston
A Welcome Change
I was thrilled to see the cover
of the most recent edition of the
Bulletin, proclaiming HLS's commitment to public service and pro bono.
When I was at HLS ('79-'82), it was almost impossible to chart a career
course with public interest goals in mind. Those of us who chose to
flout the big corporate law firm interview mill were looked upon with
skepticism and disdain. Although there was the Legal Services Institute
and the Low-Interest Loan Repayment Plan, both laudable efforts, the
career services office had nothing to provide by way of supporting those
of us who wanted both summer jobs and postgraduate positions in anything
other than big corporate law firms.
Emily J. Joselson '82
Middlebury, Vt.
Retirees and Public Service
The Harvard Law Bulletin
of Spring of 2005 notes the importance of
supplying pro bono work and of all lawyers getting involved in public
service. Then it fails to explain what role the retired Harvard lawyer
can play nationwide.
In reviewing the Class Notes of the Harvard Law Bulletin, I see our
graduates of the postretirement era do not mention involvement in public
service work at a time in their lives when such work would still be
intellectually rewarding. They could be helpful as role models for a
generation of lawyers interested in public service.
Leonard R. Friedman '69
Winthrop, Mass.
Government Service? Seriously!
When I first read the dean's "Call
to Public Service" (Spring 2005
Bulletin), I thought seriously she was advocating government as a
career. But that can't be right because most Law School alumni I've met
equate success almost exclusively with the accumulation of wealth in
private practice. And the dean certainly wouldn't suggest graduates be
less than fully successful.
No doubt it's OK for recent graduates to spend a year or two in a
government job, but only as a stepping stone to something more lucrative
in the private sector. And, of course, it's helpful and improves one's
image (and ego) to do pro bono work on occasion or at the end of a
financially successful private practice. All this [is fine], as long as
it doesn't interfere with objective number one ... raking in the big
bucks.
So, recent graduates, don't get any funny ideas about public service if
you care about your reputation among most [HLS] alumni. Do just enough
so you can mention it in your CV. But never, ever think of being a
career bureaucrat unless you honestly don't care what most Harvard
lawyers think! (Exclude those who go into teaching or the judiciary.
They do public service without too much damage to their reputations.
It's a minor exception to the established sentiment.)
Fred Sterns '54
Rockville, Md.
The Other Side Uncovered
I am somewhat upset about the back cover of the Spring 2005 issue of the
Harvard Law Bulletin, with the full-page photo of Suma Nair and the
quote, "I'm glad there is a pro bono requirement. It brought me back to
why I came here in the first place."
It misrepresents the views of most law students who very much resent the
law school telling us that we must work a certain number of hours pro
bono. Pro bono is supposed to be something that a lawyer wants to do,
not something that is imposed on us as a prerequisite to graduation.
While I doubt, for political reasons, that you're going to put a
full-page picture of me on the back of the Bulletin saying, "I truly
resent the pro bono requirement," I would appreciate if you make some
sort of apology or emphasize that Ms. Nair's views are atypical. Or at
the very least, please present views on the other side of the issue.
Aaron S. Kaufman '06
Cambridge, Mass.
A Soldier and a Terrorist
I was delighted to see Harvard taking on the issue of terrorism (Fall
2004), this extremely important, complex and difficult subject. After 65
years I still feel humility entering a discussion with so many great
professors. But I believe I can add a dimension to the subject from a
different point of view. I was a terrorist and an active participant in
some of the deadliest terrorist acts in the history of warfare.
Sixty years ago I was a U.S. Army Air Forces navigator, one of 10
members of a B-29 crew, bombing Japan from Saipan in the Mariana
Islands. I flew 24 bombing missions over 19 Japanese cities. Seventeen
were fire raids. On March 9, 1945, a few days before I arrived on
Saipan, the 20th Air Force conducted the first great fire raid on the
city of Tokyo. In two and a half hours 700,000 bombs fell in the target
area, and approximately 200,000 women, children and old men were dead or
dying. More than 1 million people became homeless. I was not on that
raid but on three later and larger and similar ones over Tokyo.
Of my 24 bombing missions, I can only remember four in which the
briefing officer described the target as a factory or military
installation, and none of the targets if destroyed would have had any
material effect on the outcome of the war.
Were we any different in motive or conduct than the modern terrorists in
Iraq or Afghanistan or Israel? We were better equipped and killed more
people. But we never talked of persons we were killing or the horrible
manner of their deaths. Like today's terrorists, we were indifferent to
the dead. We only wanted to create terror.
Arthur L. Abrams '40
Palm Beach, Fla.
Clearer than a Bell
Kudos to Malcolm Bell (Letters,
Spring 2005) for his succinct summary of
all that is wrong with the so-called "war on terror." Poet Adrienne Rich
was quoted recently with an even more pithy summation: "It has been used
to crack down on dissent, on immigrants and foreigners and activists, on
libraries and school textbooks--to diffuse a climate ... of ignorance
and fear. To make war, not social good, the national goal."
John T. Hansen '63
Castro Valley, Calif.
Evidence of Gender Disparities
In his letter in your spring issue, Mr. [Arthur] Schneider '64 relies on
his personal experience to question whether his female and male
classmates were treated any differently. He acknowledges that his
conclusions are limited by his own perceptions. Mr. Schneider is correct
that we have to rely on personal experience in investigating sex
discrimination for the Class of 1964. However, substantial data is now
available on gender issues for recent years of law students.
A group of law students conducted a two-year study examining the
experiences of female and male [HLS] students. The group conducted
student surveys, monitored comments in 190 class meetings, analyzed 1L
course grade data from the registrar's office and collected data on
extracurricular involvement, among other efforts. The final report of
the study (available at www.law.harvard.edu/students/experiences) showed
that there are systematic differences between the experiences of women
and men at HLS. For instance, a male student was 50 percent more likely
to speak voluntarily at least once during a class meeting than was a
female student. Ten percent of students accounted for almost 45 percent
of all volunteered comments spoken in 1L classes during a two-week
period, and women constituted only 20 percent of this top group of
volunteers. Women also pursued public interest activities and employment
at higher rates than men. Additionally, over the past five years, male
graduates were 70 percent more likely than female graduates to receive
magna cum laude honors.
We now have an opportunity to base our discussion of gender issues at
HLS on more than individual anecdotes. The HLS community's attention to
these issues is critical not only for female students. In the end,
addressing gender disparities may help make the HLS experience less
"disagreeable to all," in Mr. Schneider's words.
Adam Neufeld '04
Washington, D.C.
We Want to Hear from You
The Harvard Law Bulletin welcomes letters on its contents. Please write to the Harvard Law Bulletin, 125 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge, MA 02138. Fax comments to (617) 495-3501 or e-mail the Bulletin at
bulletin@law.harvard.edu. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
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