My First Day of Law School

I was sitting in the front row of room 101 of the Notre Dame law school, at 8am on the last Monday of August, 1984, when Professor G. Robert Blakey walked in, and started lecturing about the case of Regina v. Dudley and Stevens. Professor Blakey is the most brilliant legal scholar who has ever walked the face of the Earth. Don't take my word for it- just *ask* him.

(G. Bob is an arrogant man, with two important redeeming qualities- 1. he will freely admit that he is arrogant, and 2. he is very much *entitled* to be arrogant. Ever hear of someone being charged with "rackeeting"? That is a reference to 42 US Code 1961, the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO. Professor Blakey was the principal draftsman of that legislation)

Very early in the class, he told us, "There are two things I want you to remember if you ever practice criminal law: 1. get your fee up front, and 2. if it becomes clear that somebody is going to go to jail, make sure that it is your client and not you."

Good advice- which I have heeded for the past 25 years. Thank you, G. Bob.