Just the Facts

The class was evidence. The professor was Michael Sovern, later to become Dean of the Law School.

I sat in the second row, with my then and still best friend, Jeff Weisenfeld.

Mike (as we all thought of him, because he was so accessible), had laid out a complicated scenario and cast around the class for someone to describe how best to deal with the hearsay objection that it prompted. He went from Law Review member to Law Review member, smiling that cheshire cat grin of his as they all cited various legal propositions.

I was smiling (to myself, I thought) a mischevous smile, sensing that they were all way off base. Mike looked down and saw me. “What are you so happy about, Mr. Tepper.” I shrugged my shoulders, and turned my head from side to side. “Well, you look like you know something,” he went on. “Why not share it”?

“Well,” I said, “I think that to answer that question you should think more of the specific facts, and not the law, and let the facts steer you to the law.”

Mike smiled the smile of the contented, and shook his head “yes.” The period ended just then, without me having to say more. The best was yet to come.

One of the primary Law Review types ran up to me after the class and asked if I would spend an hour with him to go over Evidence, the class. I pretended not to feel pride at what had occurred. I met with him. I found out that, after all, he was human and a nice guy.

Julian Tepper