The 'Sectiongate' Scandal at HLS: It Gets Worse With Each 'Correction'
We have a second correction to run in the unfolding "Sectiongate" saga at Harvard Law School. Normally running corrections makes us unhappy. But Sectiongate gets better with each subsequent correction.
Here's the background. Last week we made fun of the dubious idea to use names rather than numbers to refer to the different 1L sections at Harvard Law School. The names would be "themed" -- e.g., "porn stars, Care-Bears, and favorite sections of the MPC."
After we put up our post, we received a correction:
[I]t's not the HLS administration's idea to do this; it is basically the idea of a single 1L. I was at the student government meeting in which this idea was first proposed, and it came from a 1L section representative. Because 1L participation is strongly encouraged, no one wanted to shoot him down (even though many people thought the idea was silly).
Our tipster was hoping to save HLS from looking ridiculous, by pinning the blame on a single 1L student. But the "correction" may have had the opposite effect. As one commenter observed:
This post doesn't help HLS. Because one person made a patently absurd suggestion, they circulated a poll, knowing full well that the contents would end up on this site and others? They should have informed the 1L that the idea was ridiculous and made her transfer.
As it turns out, the truth is even better. We've now received another correction -- which we've vetted with multiple HLS sources, so we are fairly sure this will be the final world. Here it is:
Actually, the proposal to name the sections did not originate with a 1L. It came from a 2L. This second-year student ran for student government on a platform that included naming the sections. And he won.
What this establishes is that (1) the silliness originated with someone who ought to know better (a 2L rather than a 1L), and (2) it actually enjoys broad public support among the HLS student body.
So we expect the section naming proposal to win handily in the current poll. And we can't wait to find out what ridiculous naming scheme the Harvard Law kids saddle themselves with.
Earlier: HLSers Protest: Our Law School Is Not A Joke
Wherein Harvard Law School Hits Itself Over the Head With a Silly Stick
Comments
next thing you know, you're going to tell us the 2L was actually from Loyola.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 5, 2007 04:45 PM
Who really cares?
Posted by: Anon | March 5, 2007 04:48 PM
No one 4:48.
Posted by: Anon | March 5, 2007 04:56 PM
Okay, he may have "run on a platform of naming the sections," but I didn't even know we had candidates or elections, much less that they had platforms, and I wouldn't be surprised if a large section of the student body felt the same way.
Posted by: HLS2L | March 5, 2007 05:22 PM
Lat, why do you ignore my previous post?
"I hate to break this to your tipster, David, but the idea of naming the HLS sections has been around since at least 2001 (though I don't know its origin at that time). 2001 was the first year they went to 7 sections (up from 4), to make the groups smaller and more collegial.
The point of the names, as it was explained to me, was to foster a connection between students from one year to the next by having them share membership of the same "college" within the Law School. E.g., members of "Brennan College" would have a role in orientation, legal writing classes, TA-ing etc. with the new members joining in the 1L class.
It didn't sound like the worst idea in the world to me given the size of HLS (560 per JD class)."
Posted by: Anonymous | March 5, 2007 05:29 PM
Yeah. I think the conclusion about "widespread support" is wholly off-base. I suppose it's possible that someone ran for student government on a section-naming platform. But it should be noted that a poll of HLS 2Ls would almost definitely show that no one has any idea who that someone is, or that elections even happened in the first place. A more accurate statement would be: This place is huge. If someone wants to name the sections, more power to 'em. I'll never know about it. I'll still be using the numbers. But don't let that stop you...and your totally weird naming idea.
Posted by: HLS2L | March 5, 2007 06:31 PM
HLS students resort to lying to save face. What a surprise! Look at me, look how surprise I am!
2 tier grads would never act so unethically.
Posted by: Loyola 2L | March 5, 2007 07:37 PM
Wow, leave it to Lat to sensationalize and blow this thing completely out of proportion. Like others at this school said above, nobody gives a shit about student government at HLS. Seriously, did anyone even care back in high school or college?
This section naming thing has come up exactly 0 times in my interactions with other HLS people in the past few weeks. Widespread support, indeed.
Posted by: Anon | March 5, 2007 10:05 PM
It's one silly poll that was circulated. Get over it.
Posted by: Annan | March 5, 2007 10:13 PM
Hello, ladies. Student council elections are coming up so go for it. Run on a platform to press for a return to numbers. Stop taking yourselves so seriously.
Posted by: HLS 3L | March 5, 2007 10:28 PM
If you don't care, stop talking about it.
Bitches...
Posted by: Anonymous | March 5, 2007 11:44 PM
The HL Record has some suggestions for names. Can you guess which crime was commited by a 3L last year?
http://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/paper609/news/2007/03/01/Opinion/The-Record.Suggests.1l.Section.Names-2751846.shtml
Posted by: HLS is the bestest!!!1 | March 6, 2007 02:56 AM
"Sectiongate" = David Lat is desperate for content.
Posted by: Reader | March 6, 2007 12:09 PM
Why are you trying to start controversies at HLS?
Posted by: An | March 6, 2007 01:11 PM
To see how dumb this topic is imagine replacing "Harvard" with "Boston University."
Posted by: Anonymous | March 6, 2007 02:12 PM
lol @ 2:12
Posted by: anonymous | March 6, 2007 02:16 PM
David Lat, do you think your parents are happy with their kids? One jumps off a roof and the other one pretends to be a woman online. And has nothing better to do than try to stir things up at Harvard.
You try using the USAO as a reference lately?
Try actually practicing law.
Posted by: Vin Nosaj | March 7, 2007 12:37 AM
“I have two specific ideas I would work hard to bring about:
· Permanently Name the 1L Sections. Having section names instead of numbers would erode any sense of being 'just a number' and emphasize the importance of the sections as a source of community. Permanent names would also create a sense of ties between people in different years in the same section.”
http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/sgov/statements_fa06.php
Posted by: Anonymous | March 7, 2007 06:36 PM