The Law Student

Back when I was teaching at Harvard, I came across a young student, who was studying for his law degree. He came up to me one day, after class, his books tucked under his arm. I looked up from my work, and waited for him to pose the question that he had obviously circulating in his mind. Why else would he have come up to my desk? After he didn’t speak for several moments, I cleared my throat, “Can I help you?”

He blinked and smiled nervously, “Yes, sorry, sir. I was wondering if you could explain to me why a lot of my father’s trials are being used as examples in the text?”

I squinted at him, and then scratched my chin, “You are James Aldberg’s son?”

“Yes, I am.”

James Aldberg was one of the greatest lawyers in the country. He was known from coast to coast for being an expensive ruthless lawyer. It was said that he only took on cases that were very hard to win. Needless to say, he never lost a case.

“Well,” I said, “I think that Mr. Aldberg is a wonderful example of how a lawyer should practice.”

James Aldberg’s son shook his head sadly, “That’s the common consensus around here?” He gestured with a derisive wave of his hand.

I nodded slowly, focusing my attention on the small goldfish bowl that was resting on my desk, “Every one here thinks that he is a wonderful lawyer. Several of the alumni met him last year. I unfortunately did not.”

“I think that you shouldn’t use him as an example.”

“What is your name?”

“Jeffery,” he said, irritably.

“Alright Jeffery,” I replied, taking off my glasses, “Why shouldn’t we use your father’s cases as an example?”

“You don’t know him like I do. I work for three years as a clerk in his law firm. I know the inside to most of his cases. He is not an example to teach by.”

“How not?”

Jeffery looked around the room nervously, “Please don’t say anything to anyone.”

I nodded, “Don’t worry. What is said in this room, stays here.”

This obviously made him feel better, because he started speaking quickly and quietly, “A lot of times, he pays off witnesses and jurors. That’s how he always wins cases. I’ve heard him discussing it with several people over the years. He also bullies people into doing what he wants.” Jeffery continued for what seemed an hour, telling of the lies, immoralities, and illegal acts of his father’s law firm.

After he finished, I sat still for several minutes, taking in everything that he said, “Are you sure?”

He nodded, “Yes.”

“Alright, thank you very much for bringing this to my attention. I’ll stop

using his cases as examples in class, because the outcomes are obviously tainted.”

Jeffery nodded, “Thanks for taking the time to listen to me, sir.”

I smiled encouragingly, “Don’t sweat it.”

Despite my confident attitude, I was nervous and felt guilty. For the last five years, I had been teaching a lot of my courses using James Aldberg as a prime example of American law. Now, I realized that James Aldberg wasn’t the shining lawyer that everyone thought. I had put countless kids into the lawyer world, with falsified information.

That evening, I sat in my living room, with a bottle of scotch, and brooded. It was dawn when I finally fell asleep. Thank God it was a Saturday.

After that year, I hadn’t seen Jeffery, but heard that he was a good and prospering lawyer.

“He is just like his father. We need more of them in the world.” I hoped that it wasn’t true.

Thirty years later, after I’d been retired for five years, I was watching TV one evening. I flicked onto the news, just as the top story began.

A withered looking news anchor smiled toothily into the camera, “Today, Jeffery Aldberg, Son of the famous lawyer, James Aldberg, was arrested at his home today. He was charged with several counts of taking bribes and lying under oath.”

I was stunned. I guess that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.