There Are No Friends In Law School

Today was a strange day at the Law School. Then, again, I don't think I've had a day yet that hasn't been strange at the law school... After Criminal Procedure, I was in the library in my usual spot in the computer lab. There I was, minding my own business and killing time until I had to report for duty at the Property Law Clinic... Humm dee dumm, just sitting there, when all the sudden, someone tall walked over to my computer carrel. Thankfully, I wasn't writing an email installment for this blog at the time. I looked up to see none other than Becca Rutherford, Professor Tarkington's alleged mistress and ex-Research Assistant, standing there. I smiled and said "hi," but I had a sense it was not a casual visit.

Becca asked me if I knew who she was, and I said that I thought she was in my Criminal Procedure class. She pulled the chair out from the carrel next to mine and sat down. The look on her face was not a happy one. After staring at me for a second, she said something like, "I heard you've been asking questions about me and Professor Tarkington." I wanted to laugh. What is this, high school?

She continued when I didn't say anything. Apparently, my ol' buddy who is not my buddy, Richard from Law Clinic, told her every word I said about her and Tarkington. Although I was tempted to say, "Yeah? Big freakin' deal," it immediately came to my mind that I could do the lawyerly thing and make up a defense real quick. So, I told her she was correct; I did ask about her to Richard, and it did involve Tarkington. I told her I (meaning Amy) made the highest grade in Criminal Law last year and that I was hoping to get a Research Assistant position to help stack my resume. Gotta plan ahead for jobs after graduation, you know.

Becca's face seemed to light up, and she said immediately that he was a good professor to work for. Why the hell, then, did she stop working for him? I couldn't bring myself to ask about that, however. Explaining that she had worked for him for a semester and a summer, she said "Mick" makes you work hard, but it's worth it beause you learn a great deal. Well, gee, that is my goal after all: to learn a great deal from "Mick." We talked about the law review article on which she had helped him as well as her interest in being a prosecutor, like Mick had been before he went into teaching. I quickly seized the opportunity to ask her if she had known Mick from before he was a professor. She said no, that they met when she had him for Criminal Law her first year, and then she applied to work for him during the Spring semester of her second year.

It is so frustrating when you are sitting there talking to someone, and you both know there is something that needs to be said, but neither person will mention it. I think she knew I wanted to know what the deal was in class and why she acted so weird. Not to even mention the affair issue, which her use of his first name certainly did not help to quash. It was like a stalemate of silence. Finally, she told me she had to run but that she would "put in a good word with Mick" for me. Yeah, right. Sure she will. Before she got a few steps away, she turned around and came back. Quietly, she leaned over and asked, "Hey, weren't you the one with the drinking problem?"

So, what the heck is the deal with that? Tarkington told me he never complained about me to the dean at all. In fact, the topic of alcohol was not even an issue when I talked to Tarlkington. He said he was just talking about people being sick. Now, I have to wonder if he was lying. I gave Becca a funny look and said, "No, why?" Her reactions spoke volumes as she smiled and started to walk off again. She mumbled something like, "Don't worry about it." But, I am worried about it.

Then, I went to Law Clinic to see if I could find Richard and ask him why he reported my questioning to Becca. I couldn't find Richard anywhere, so I left and returned an hour or so later, at my regular time to be in the Clinic for work. There was a big blond guy in one of the interview rooms. I went in, said hi, and asked if he knew where Richard was. He said Richard doesn't work in the Law Clinic anymore... Rogerson fired him!

The new guy didn't know why; he just knew the message had gotten passed down to him to make sure he covered the office. The newbie's name is Kevin. He's a 3L with no prior experience in Law Clinic, so we are now back to the blind leading the blind. Or the blonde leading the blonde.

I wish I knew what happened with Richard. I sure hope he hasn't gotten in trouble for anything that I did.