The NMITT

I remember a conversation I had with David Link, the Dean of Notre Dame Law School in 1985. I will say for the record that Dean Link is a decent fellow who has been an extraordinary success in everything he’s attempted in life. Navy JAG officer, computer technician, partner at Winston & Strawn in Chicago, Dean of Notre Dame Law School for thirty years, and at the age of seventy (after his wife died and his children were grown), he became a priest. Editorial comment: when he took holy orders, the average IQ of priests in Indiana went dramatically. If I had to make a criticism of Dean Link, it is that he has been such a extraordinary success his entire life that I don’t think he understands what many lesser mortals must endure. It was toward the end of my first year in law school when I informed Dean Link of my frustration in not receiving any offers from law firms for a summer clerkship. He nodded sagely and said, “Kent, have you considered perhaps that you are limiting your search to too narrow a geographical area?” I let out a deep sigh and replied, “Dean Link, I recently received a rejection letter from the Northern Marianas Islands Trust Territory.”

Ironically enough, fourteen years later, I actually had a job interview on Saipan, in the NMITT. I received word that I had been accepted for a position with their civil service commission; a few days later, with no explanation, that offer was revoked. The trip wasn’t a total loss, however, as I’m one of the few people who can say they’ve seen the battle sites at Suicide Cliff and Marpi Point.