From: laurel.schippers@hal9k.ann-arbor.mi.us (Laurel Schippers) 
Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh
Subject: Discussing Roe
Date: 9 Jan 93 05:40:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: HAL 9000 BBS, W-NET HQ, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Reply-To: laurel.schippers@hal9k.ann-arbor.mi.us (Laurel Schippers) 

SRF>|Have you been to law school?  I haven't.

_I_ have.  And Constitutional Law, basic facts of, is a requirement
at every ABA-accredited law school I ever heard of. Either Thomas
has never studied Constitutional law in any significant way (in
which case he is not qualified to be a Justice) or he is telling
an outrageous lie.

SRF>|I think you give lawyers in general and law students in particular, too
SRF>|much credit.  I have heard prominent lawyers argue RvW on several
SRF>|occasions and in every case, neither side were able to keep the
SRF>|propriety of abortion out of what was supposed to be a discussion of the
SRF>|law (in fact, the law barely intruded into these discussions).  If
SRF>|practicing lawyers find it difficult to concentrate on the law (when
SRF>|that is the task given to them), then I don't know why it would be any
SRF>|easier for law students (or judges for that matter).

I think you really have little idea what lawyers and law students
discuss. _Roe_ is a very significant decision in con law, following
a whole line of "substantive due process" cases that signalled a
major shift in thinking about the Constitution.  If you've studied
substantive due process, you've studied _Roe_.  If not, you have
no business being on the Supreme Court.

SRF>|I'm told (and believe) that studying to be a lawyer is difficult, and
SRF>|therefore I would imagine that law students spend most of their time
SRF>|studying, not discussing current events (even in the law).  Moreover, my
SRF>|experience at college suggests that, in what little free time students do
SRF>|have, many of them like to spend it on something other than their
SRF>|primary field of study.

Again, this is completely untrue. Law students talk about legal and
current issues CONSTANTLY.  You can't get us to shut up about it.
And if you don't spend your time studying substantive due process
(which includes _Roe_), you aren't going to understand constitutional
law AT ALL.

SRF>|The subject may, in fact probably, came up in class, but it is
hardly SRF>|uncommon for all the students who want to speak on a
subject, not to get a SRF>|chance to, and most students prefer to keep
to themselves and only take SRF>|part in discussions through prodding
from the instructor.  Baring evidence SRF>|to the contrary, it isn't
hard to believe that Thomas never spoke on the SRF>|subject of RvW in
class.

You're right.  It's actually _impossible_ to believe that he went
to law school and never talked or wrote about _Roe_.

SRF>|* And there are a number of good reasons not to want to discuss this with
SRF>|others, besides just interest in the subject, not the least of which is
SRF>|the possible emotional response of others if you take the "wrong" side
SRF>|of the issue.
SRF>|--
SRF>|orstcs!opac!bug!stevef          I am the NRA              Steven R. Fordyc
SRF>|uunet!sequent!ether!stevef         . . .                Deer are for Dinne

Interest in the legal aspects of _Roe_ is quite different from an
interest in abortion.  Lawyers do not have the luxury of discussing
or considering only "interesting" or "safe" issues.
---
 . SLMR 2.0 . "God created Michigan to train the faithful."
 * KMail 2.94e W-NET HQ, hal9k.ann-arbor.mi.us, 313-663-4173 or 3959
                                                                                
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