Whiner of the Week

Richard Kahlenberg, author of Broken Contract, the autobiographical story of how Harvard Law School (HLS) transformed an idealistic, guilt-driven, public-service minded Harvard College grad into a greedy corporate pig.

Kahlenberg's book follows in the grand tradition of The Paper Chase and Scott Turow's One L, both of which blasted HLS for its tendency to induce nervous breakdowns. In Broken Contract, Kahlenberg cries about receiving his first-ever B, and his rejection by the Law Review. He appears shocked that public interest legal services don't have the resources to fly HLS students down to their offices the way the large coporate law firms do.

Kahlenberg, who complains about nearly every professor who taught him, clearly had some bizarre notions of the reality he was to uncover upon entering HLS. Perhaps he had visions of Florence Nightingale and Mother Theresa seated in front of his Torts class, welcoming incorrect or inane responses with a warm smile and a cookie. Well, he ended up with teachers with names like Areeda and Nesson and Minow. Next time check the faculty list before applying.

The final inanity of Broken Contract lies on the back cover, which contains several blurbs praising the recent HLS graduate/whiner. The notes come from none other than Marty Peretz (surprise -- Peretz attended Kahlenberg's wedding and led his undergraduate junior seminar), and Richard Neustadt, who, according to Kahlenberg, took the author on a canoeing trip.