Law Review Draws Students

Despite controversy over a recent Harvard Law Review parody issue, more than 200 first-year Law School students attended a recruiting meeting for the organization yesterday.

Although originally scheduled as an information session for prospective first year writers Law Review leaders yesterday attempted to gather support to get the publication back on track.

The spoof issue, the called the Law Revue, contained a parody of an article by Mary Joe Frug, a professor at the New England school of Law who was murdered last year. The parody issue was distributed on the anniversary of Frug's death.

Two prominent law professors expressed support for the Law Review and its new President Emily R. Schulman '85, encouraging first-year to the join the staff of the journal.

Tyler Professor of Constitutional Law Lawrence H. Tribe '62 retracted a suggestion he made last Sunday that students boycott the Law Review.

"I think a boycott...would be a disaster," Tribe said.

Johnston Lecturer on Law Charles J. Ogletree Jr., who was the subject of the another parody in the Revue also suggested that first year law students join the Review to help change the institution.

"This is an opportunity to be constructive," Ogletree said. "Get in and the change things. Don't run away from it."

Ogletree insisted that students be allowed the to deal with the problem in their own way.

"I don't think the faculty should over-respond" Ogletree said. "Our power should be exercised with judgment."

Both professors commended Schulman for her strong leadership during the time of the controversy.

"Emily was extraordinary in the most trying times," Tribe said.

"I'd challenge the new leadership to make the Law Review what it should be not an ideological journal but a scholarly journal, more inclusive than less," said Ogletree.

Tribe said the parody reflects problems in the administration, the University and the hiring and admissions processes.

"We are pressing very hard for the faculty and the University to investigate what it is about us that made this happen," he said.

Schulman said Frug's original article--published in the Reviews March issue--will be reprinted and distributed next week.

"It was remarkable piece of work," Schulman said. "It should not be lost sight of."

Schulman also reiterated the steps the Law Review is taking to make amends for the parody issue which include discontinuing the annual issue donating founds tagged for the parody to a women's charity and establishing a task force to examine the treatment and status of women at the Review.