The End of “The Paper Chase”

by Francis A. Boyle / January 11th, 2015

Knowing full well what I intended to do
In order to survive the Jungle of the Academic World
I cut a deal to go up for tenure here at the start of my third year

The Decision was to be on a Wednesday Mid-October 1980
Just in case on the Monday before
I had a little chat with my Dean

I just spoke with my Tax Partner in Boston
They would love to have me back
So if my Tenure is denied or delayed on Wednesday
I will be on the next plane back to Boston on Thursday
And you can have all your students back to teach

I got it
They have regretted it ever since
I was 30
I was not bluffing

The End of “The Paper Chase” for me
The Real Kingsfield was not so bad
Modelled on my contracts teacher Phil Areeda
We later became friends

RIP: Phil
RIP: Paper Chase
RIP: Harvard Law School

University of Illinois Law Professor Francis A. Boyle served as Legal Advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization on the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence; to the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East Peace Negotiations from 1991 to 1993; and to H.E. Chairman and President Yasser Arafat. The story is told in his book Palestine, Palestinians and International Law (Clarity Press: 2003). He can be reached at: FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU. Read other articles by Francis A..

This article was posted on Sunday, January 11th, 2015 at 4:45pm and is filed under Poetry.