My afternoon session is taught by Professor Barton. He was the professor I saw “in action” during my Trustees’ Scholar visit, teaching Civil Procedure and talking about issue preclusion. I liked him then, and I still do.

He’s an interesting figure. He looks nothing like his picture on the school’s website, but there he has a beard (none now) and is wearing a dark suit. I’ve seen him several times on campus and I’ve never seen him in a dark suit. Yesterday, he was wearing a fabulously natty green seersucker, for example, that he had clearly had tailored as it fit his small frame exactly as it should. So many attorneys are rather poor dressers but he seems to be an exception. 

As I mentioned, he is a physically small man–a bit shorter than I–fine-boned and slim. But using the word “dainty” would be entirely inappropriate as he’s not effeminate at all. In demeanor, he reminds me pleasantly of a very intellectual Mr. Rogers–kind, helpful, and wicked smart. There is something almost “southern gentleman” about him (maybe from his Tulane days?), but without the subtle sexism that usually comes with that attitude. He’s gentle, but determined–he clearly wants us to do well, doesn’t want to make things harder than they have to be, but at the same time obviously expects us to work hard and won’t be a pushover. 

I share all of this because I want you to have a clear image of the sort of compassionate-yet-frank man I think he is. That way you will understand the following story all the better.

At the start of his class yesterday, we all had to introduce ourselves. We were to say our names, where and what we had previously studied, and where we were from, and we were given the option to share one of our first trimester goals with the others students (writing the goals had been an assignment). After each person spoke, Prof. Barton usually said “Thank you” and occasionally made a comment. For example, after I spoke he said “I’d welcome you in French, but I don’t speak the language…it’s something like ben-venu?”

You get the picture.

When he got to the back of the room, a young lady introduced herself and offered to share one of her goals. With nervous laughter she said “I want to make two As in my first trimester.” Professor Barton responded, “Interesting and admirable goal… statistically improbable, though.” He went on to say that it wasn’t anything against her–it was just that the chances for any student to get more than one A in her/his first trimester was statistically unlikely. 

Coming from him, that depressed the hell out of me.