Reading the Bartameter (Part 3): What Is Up With Those Policy Debaters?
We continue to follow the story of Peter Barta, the Legal Aid lawyer who allegedly made secret videotapes of his female colleagues getting dressed. Tales like this -- along with associate pay raises, of course -- are the raison d'etre of ATL.
After we quoted a tipster stressing that Peter Barta did policy or cross-examination debate in high school, rather than Lincoln-Douglas debate, commenters argued vociferously over whether C-X or L-D debaters get laid more. One commenter helpfully provided a link to the website for alumni of the Stuyvesant High School debate team. Here's the entry on Barta:
Peter Barta '92 - Debated with Eric Yuen. Came back and coached for a while. "After NYU, I went to law school at Georgetown. Now, I work as a public defender with the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan. Essentially, I'm still debating." (3/12/03)
And still acting like a horny high schooler. And living at home with mom.
As it turns out, though, Peter Barta is not the Stuy policy debate team's most (in)famous alumnus. That honor surely belongs to Dick Morris, the noted political commentator and consultant.
Yes, THAT Dick Morris. The self-described "sex addict". And devotee of toe-sucking.
A new nickname for C-X debaters: C-XXX debaters?
Stuyvesant Policy Debate Alumni [official website]
Comments
maybe
Posted by: I may be first | July 10, 2007 11:50 AM
As far as I know, Barta wasn't that great at debate.
But - don't just plug the sex addicts. Include Laurence Tribe and Neal Katyal as former CX debating law profs, and Justices Breyer and Alito. (No sex addiction in this group - that I know of).
Posted by: anony | July 10, 2007 12:09 PM
There are a ridiculous number of policy debate alum in the practice of law. Most notable is Lawrence Tribe, who was a policy debater at Harvard (and later a coach).
http://www.americanforensics.org/history/awards/ndt_champs.html
Posted by: No Chance | July 10, 2007 12:12 PM
This may be a stupid question, but can someone explain why people are getting dressed/undressed at the Legal Aid office in the first place?
Posted by: anon | July 10, 2007 12:17 PM
It's the policy debaters that stay with it in COLLEGE that you really have to be wary of. These are people who were nerds in high school but found their niche and can't let go.
Posted by: anon | July 10, 2007 12:21 PM
I keep seeing more people bike to work. Maybe changing out of those clothes into court attire? Can't imagine Legal Aid has a gym with showers in the basement.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 10, 2007 12:53 PM
Neither LD nor Policy debators got laid. They may teach class or wear the robe now, but they weren't getting laid then.
Now, Congress debaters. They got laid then. And they get laid now.
Posted by: Congress | July 10, 2007 12:57 PM
Anon 12:21: People who spend their time posting anonymous comments to blog entries about policy debate are obviously *way* cooler and more trustworthy than people who did policy debate in college.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 10, 2007 01:04 PM
"This may be a stupid question, but can someone explain why people are getting dressed/undressed at the Legal Aid office in the first place?
Posted by: anon | July 10, 2007 12:17 PM"
Geez people, do we have to go over this again? When you're a low paid lawyer and you don't have money for a full set of suits or constant dry cleaning, you only put on the suit when you have to go to court. Changing in your office with the door locked is much nicer than changing in the bathroom. If you're wearing the wrong type or color underthings, then you have to take it all off and put on the appropriate set.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 10, 2007 01:25 PM
I work at a firm - not Legal Aid - but I, and many of my colleagues, change clothes in our office for a number of reasons. For one, I occasionally have something to do afterwork that does not call for my fugly black suit. The question isn't what the women were doing in their own offices. The question is how could such a weirdo get a way with bizarro behavior for so long!
Posted by: S. | July 10, 2007 01:51 PM
Most court heavy high billing litigators I know keep a spare suit in the office, just in case they are called into court. I don't think it has anything to do with legal aid.
You can not show up to court wearing a polo and slacks.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 10, 2007 01:58 PM
I think the folks asking why lawyers could possibly be changing clothes must be locked away in a basement storage room doing document review. I always keep a spare suit in the office, because you never know when you have to make an unexpected trip to court - it's happened to me more than 10 times in my career. It could be due to a calendaring error, or someone higher up on the food chain than you tells you to go to court for him because he has to golf, or whatever... happens all the time.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 10, 2007 02:46 PM
Legal Aid lawyers change in their offices because they spend the entire day in and out of corrections facilities talking to their clients. At the end of the day when they get back to their offices, it is more comfortable to work in casual looser fitting clothes and clothes that do not smell like the holding pens.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 11, 2007 03:01 PM
OK, granted, Legal Aid lawyers change in their offices.
But do they (typically) get butt naked in their offices while changing?
I suspect not.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 11, 2007 03:22 PM