[Ed Note: This is the third and final installment in the Curious Case of Randy, a rather eccentric law firm partner. You can read Part 1 over here and Part 2 over here.]

Weeks pass, and Randy continues to be randy. Stopping by my office no less than three times a day. Gawking at the summer associates as they get their lunches downstairs. I kind of just check out.

I decide to ignore him, figuring that eventually he'll go away. I do, however, find myself staring at his chest each time he comes in and interrupts me. I'm looking for milk. Or the emergence of breasts. But I don't recall seeing anything. I think the pills must have gotten that problem under control -- but not the other thing. He's so antsy and manic -- sometimes I thought he might start touching himself in my office. Anyway, here it comes, and I'm not lying.

Several weeks later, as February approached -- the month that I have always contended is the cruelest month (not April, as T.S. Eliot alleges) -- Valentine's season begins. I tend to ignore all this heart/love crap because I think it's stupid. I was never one to send out Valentine's Day cards, even in elementary school. I rejected it. I mean, I can barely say I love you to my parents or my boyfriend; I'm certainly not going to say it to some random person. And I doubt my meatball (non-lawyer, a big plus) boyfriend will do anything anyway.

So I walk into my office at 9:00 a.m., maybe 9:30 actually, on February 14th. There is a large, blood orange, inter-office envelope on top of my desk. I figure it's my expense report or the report of my billable hours, which I haven't met for two months. As I open it, however, a pink something falls out. I turn it over. It is a homemade Valentine, constructed out of pale pink construction paper, topped with an old-school white doily, and on it, there is a poem written by a dark purple crayon. My first thought is, how cute; it must be from my partner's daughter, Rose.

Find out what the poem is about, after the jump.

Are you still stuck at the office, settling in for a long evening of work, and thinking about what to order from SeamlessWeb? Maybe you goofed off all day because you have nobody to go home to at night.

(We know what that's like. It's why we've been covering the ATL night shift lately.)

Fellow single people, we wish you a Happy National Singles Week (September 21-28). From the San Francisco Chronicle:

There are 92 million unmarried Americans, and this is their week.

Since the 1980s, the third full week of September has been National Singles Week. Started by Ohio's Buckeye Singles Council as a way to recognize the role singles play in society, it is now known as National Unmarried and Single Americans Week. According to the U.S. census, the adjusted name acknowledges that many unmarried Americans do not identify with the word "single" because they have partners or are widowed.

Many of them are also rejecting the stereotyped notion that they're living in hope of the perfect spouse appearing, a Disneylike vision in a reality-show world. They're creating a grassroots effort to obtain equal rights in health care access, taxation and other areas while demanding that they be seen as living their lives in full.

And equal rights in law offices, too. Single lawyers: How many times have you had to pick up the slack or hold down the fort for a colleague who left work early for an anniversary dinner, daughter's ballet recital, or Valentine's Day celebration?

Read more -- plus take a reader poll, concerning whether single people or married people make better Biglaw employees -- after the jump.

[Ed Note: Yesterday we learned that Hope's partner pal, Randy, was taking testosterone pills to treat his "lactating man-boobs." Today we learn about the downside of hormonal supplements.]

"Testosterone pills? Like, how many do you have to take?"

"Well, right now three. One with every meal."

I wanted to end this conversation and finish the bloody filing so I could go out and get wasted.

"Well, I hope it helps and you feel better soon!" I gathered my papers and stared at my laptop.

"Well, my chest isn't hurting as much, but there's this other problem."

Good Lord.

"What?"

"Well..." Randy leaned forward and whispered, "I can't stop thinking about sex. I'm like obsessed with it. I can't do my work. It's all I think about -- I feel like I've turned into a teenage boy again."

Okay, this is weird. Really weird. And, weird is what I sought to escape. I found myself longing for the hairy armpits, unbuckled trousers, and pool parties back at Pants Down.

"I mean... I can't even go to lunch in public without staring at every girl that walks by."

This proved to be true. I later witnessed this at a lunch with some summer associates. Each time a remotely attractive girl walked by, his neck moved more rapidly than the ducks I fed stale bread to at our lake house. Clearly he was hungry -- and not shy.

"Well, I really think you need to talk to your doctor about this. Maybe they can lower the medication."

"Well, he has lowered it. Still. All I think about its sex! Even my wife is sick of me -- I want it like three times a day." My mind flashed back to the photo of the blond trophy wife on his desk. Please. She probably doesn't even want to do it with him three times a year.

"I'm really sorry about your problem. But, I do have to get this filing done in an hour."

I get him out of my office -- and fast. I mean, what does he want me to do here? Service him? Well, he can try the self-service island. I wanted to tell him to go whack off and leave me alone.

Hope tries to finish the task at hand, after the jump.

First of all, never ever shoot your cerebellum up with botulism two days before a deadline. God. My head hurts. Yet, I rise ...

Here we go.

"Listen, go work somewhere where people like you... I mean, really like you. Then, you can screw up, and it doesn't even matter. Hope, just go somewhere where people like you, and you'll be in. Nothing else matters."

Sage advice given to me from a senior associate at the Pants Down law firm. I mean, he was forced to eat white buns at his desk, the only staple stashed in desk drawer, because he never, ever left his office -- not even to get lunch. But he was brilliant, the golden child of Litigation. And he knew this firm was pure evil. He wanted me to escape while I was still young enough.

So, after putting in a few years at Pants Down, I decided to leave. In addition to fending off the advances of creepy middle-aged male partners, I had become increasingly fed up with the partners there, in general.

Plus, at the end of every single day, I was so completely drained. Had I been a mother required to feed a child, my breast would have just dried up. I just had nothing left to give. Anyone.

I was ready to jump.

So, I decided to go to a firm that was less prestigious and international, but that was fine by me. I liked it better anyway when the world was round, not flat. And I was really sick of reading The Economist. There are just way too many countries. More importantly, I was excited to go to a place where the partners actually cared about me and what I wanted to do with my life. And my friend Molly, who had recently left the firm, was really happy now.

She e-mailed me from her new firm: "Listen, Hope. I came to Pants Down because I thought the people were kind of eccentric, interesting -- not the super stuffy lawyers you usually find. Now, actually, after seeing all their erratic crazy behavior, I want boring, dull, bland. That's fine by me."

I e-mailed her back: "I know. These people are nuts. I mean, who goes to a 'pool party' and jumps in the pool in a bikini in front of their colleagues - especially with unshaved armpits? So gross."

Query: What woman doesn't shave her armpits? And, if you opt not to shave your pits because you fancy yourself some Nicaraguan rebel leader, then please, keep your arms down. The summer associate pool party was my breaking point -- I had to get the hell out of here. These people were just too weird. And the partner for whom I worked was mean as hell and had an old school mustache. That also was weird.

Well, the new firm proved to be everything I expected. They cared about me. Too much.

Read more, after the jump.

Buzzing around the internet today is a ridiculous study from the Chicago Sun Times:

A new survey found that about 35 percent of professionals would pick their PDAs over their spouses if they had to choose.

A surprising 87 percent take their personal digital assistants into their bedrooms, and 84 percent check them just before going to bed and as soon as they wake up, according to a work-life survey from Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. Another 85 percent say they look at their PDAs in the middle of the night.

Sounds to me like 35 percent of professionals do not fully understand the ramifications of losing half their stuff.

But what's worse is that many readers have emailed the story to ATL contending that the numbers for professionals "in the law" would be much, much higher.

Let's settle this after the jump.

[Ed. note: This is a continuation of the story started in this post by ATL guest columnist Hope Winters, which you should read first if you haven't done so already. It's about Hope's friend Anna, a young Wall Street lawyer and self-described "summer wife."]

It's the first week of August. At around five o'clock, Anna's BlackBerry begins buzzing with invitations to fancy restaurants like Amaranth or Cipriani, courtesy of the much older partners looking for summer wives. Anna likes to network and she likes to eat, so she's game.

You'd never guess it by her lithe frame and recessed chest exposing clavicle bones, but Anna can eat and drink ... a lot. And like all girls, she just likes attention -- attention best demonstrated at lavish restaurants, and hotel bars where cucumber Martinis are served all night long. Anna is into the glam. She wears conservative charcoal gray Diane von Furstenberg dresses, but accessorizes sexy -- strappy black sandals that crisscross at the ankles, dangling gold earrings, and a black lace camisole ever-so-subtly revealed. So if a much older, frumpy partner wants to be seen with her, he better be taking her somewhere gorgeous.

In any event, as the summer goes by and the dinners multiply (followed always by an invitation for a "nightcap" at the partner's apartment), Anna grows increasingly fond of one of her suitors, Abraham. She realizes that it's time for her to grow up, settle down, and take a summer husband. He has been courting her for a long time now. Calling her. Wining and dining her. Complimenting her. Texting her. Even sending her a car and driver.

He wants her. She is everything right that is wrong in his wife.

Finally, Anna capitulates. Very well -- I'll be your summer wife.

Read more, after the jump.

My friend Anna is a summer wife.

You see, her "summer" husband, Abraham, does what all high-powered law firm partners do each summer: he dispatches his wife to the summer home in the Hamptons or Shelter Island or Martha's Vineyard.

This allows Biglaw partners to supper in the city with the single senior (or summer) associates. I mean, these guys can't be alone at dinnertime. They have to supper with someone, so why not with an associate who is close by or, better yet, in the same office?

One night, after I meet Abraham, I ask him about his family in exile, and how he is adjusting to their absence from his day- to-day life. He says: "Well, it's better for the kids to be out there in the summer.... They have the beach, their grandparents are there...."

Blah. Blah. Blah. We're in the midst of a global warming crisis; we're all supposed to be wearing SPF 45, even when just driving in our cars. Do the kids really need that much sun and sea? And is it really benefiting them if their father is absent from their lives most days of the week? Or is this arrangement really better for you, Abraham?

Read more, after the jump.

[Ed. note: This post is by MARIN, one of the finalists in ATL Idol, the "reality blogging" competition that will determine ATL's next editor. It is marked with Marin's avatar (at right).]

Ever wonder what happened to Kory McFarren, the (literally) crappy boyfriend who stood by for a month while his girlfriend, Pam Babcock, grew overly attached to a toilet seat? The AP reported yesterday that McFarren was sentenced to six months probation after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor count of mistreatment of a dependent adult.

But don't break out the party hats just yet.

Also Tuesday, McFarren was sentenced to six months in jail for an unrelated charge of lewd and lascivious behavior for exposing himself to a teenage neighbor in March.

Apparently while Babcock convalesced in the hospital, McFarren sought solace by staring out his window. And masturbating.

"This has been going on for a long period of time," the neighbor said. "While we were using our pool or hot tub, he would stand in his window and watch and play with himself. It has become much worse lately."

The resourceful neighbors tried to block McFarren's view by piling logs in front of the pool. But "[a]s winter wore on, the wood pile shrank," presumably leading to the expansion of McFarren's own wood pile.

In a cruel twist of fate, he has ended up exactly where Babcock did -- in the can.

Boyfriend of woman stuck to toilet gets probation [AP]
Boyfriend arrested in new crime [The Hays Daily News]

Us Weekly is like The Economist of celebrity gossip. If you can make it through the latest issue, you're all caught up in the world.

To be sure, going through an issue of Us Weekly (so many pictures!) is easier than plowing your way through The Economist. So over the weekend, we did just that -- and learned something new and interesting. From the latest issue (write-up not available online):

Jennifer Hudson has landed a Harvard hottie! The actress, 26, who split from her long-time beau, maintenance engineer [Ed. note: janitor?] James Payton, is getting serious with Chicago lawyer David Otunga, 28, who appeared on I Love New York 2.

"She wants to get engaged," a source tells Hot Stuff. For his part, Otunga tells Us, "Jennifer is a wonderful girl."

Fabulous! How many HLS grads and Sidley Austin alums make it into the pages of Us Weekly?

Update: We intended the question to be rhetorical. But as a commenter notes, "Michelle Obama was extensively covered in last week's issue."

A little more discussion, including commentary from an Otunga classmate from Harvard Law, after the jump.

Our Bachelorette-watching days are probably over. We missed last night's episode -- and one of the two lawyers was eliminated on it, dramatically reducing the show's legal relevance.

As ATL readers go, so goes Bachelorette DeAnna Pappas. In our reader poll, almost 80 percent of you favored Jeremy over Fred. Consistent with your verdict, DeAnna eliminated Fred this week, leaving Jeremy as the only lawyer-finalist. For an episode recap, see here (a Bachelor-loving lawyer's take) or here (the official ABC recap).

We did learn, from our readers, a little more about Fred. Apparently his full name is Fred Greif (not Fred Glick, as previously rumored). And here's some information about his employment (which could be construed as a cautionary tale for anyone considering law school):

Fred graduated John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 2002. He never practiced or got a "legal job" post graduation.

He's a gym teacher at a Catholic school in Chicago. He teaches my friend's kids. That's why you can't find anything on him.

In the recent "lawyer" vs. "attorney" discussion thread, some of you theorized that "lawyer" refers to any law school graduate, while "attorney" refers to a licensed, practicing lawyer. By this standard, even if Fred isn't an "attorney," he can honestly represent himself as a "lawyer" on the Bachelorette. It certainly sounds more glamorous than "gym teacher."

As for the remaining attorney-contestant, congratulations to Jeremy Anderson. Apparently he's now "the longest-lasting attorney on any Bachelor/Bachelorette show ever," according to Bachelor News Update. We wish him the best of luck.

Update: If you're a fan of lawyers on reality shows, a tipster passes this along:

There is also an attorney on this season of The Mole. I can't remember his name, but he's a fairly handsome black man.

Our source seems to be thinking of Clay, 32, who is indeed a rather handsome African-American gent. He's a graduate of Howard Law School who works as a litigator in Philadelphia, focused on criminal cases.

Double D Part 4: Smooth. Rich. Succulent. [Bachelor News Update]
Recap: 06/09/2008 - Episode 404 [The Bachelor / ABC]

We just finished watching The Bachelorette, which has featured a few lawyer-contestants this season. We're happy to report that the attorneys are doing well. Out of nine bachelors still in the running for the hand of the lovely DeAnna Pappas, two are attorneys: Jeremy and Fred.

The frontrunner -- between the two of them, and on the whole show right now -- is 30-year-old Jeremy Anderson (SMU Law / Hunton & Williams). He's rubbing the other guys the wrong way, but much of it seems to be player-hating. DeAnna is definitely falling for him, as are ATL readers. In our poll, 85 percent of you picked him over Eric Papachristos of Ropes & Gray, who got the ax last week.

We can see why. Last month, a reader commended Jeremy's abs to us. We don't know how this (male) reader was aware of Jeremy's fine physique, but thanks to this week's poolside cavorting, we were able to see for ourselves -- and concur. Thumbnail at right; click to enlarge.

Fred, also a 30-year-old lawyer, is a more mysterious candidate. His last name is rumored to be Glick, although that hasn't been confirmed. A reader tells us that he graduated from Chicago's John Marshall Law School about five years ago. It's not clear where he currently works. (If you know, please email us.)

We're not big Fred fans. He's on the doughy side, at least compared to the other contestants, and he came across like a tool during his attempt to ambush DeAnna during her one-on-time with Jeremy.

But Fred redeemed himself during the contestants' pilgramage to the Oracle of Lesbos, Ellen DeGeneres. His explanation of DeAnna's best quality was rambling (and highlighted that heavy Chicago accent), but Ellen seemed taken by it -- combined with his performance in the "dance-off." She gave him a rose.

So both Jeremy and Fred are still in the running. Which lawyer-lover do you prefer?

Earlier: The Lawyer and the Bachelorette

Bless us, Father, for we have sinned. Last night we watched the Bachelorette.

It was for journalistic reasons -- really. We wanted to do an update to our prior post, about a lawyer competing for the hand of the Bachelorette, DeAnna Pappas.

Or make that "lawyers"? He's not identified as a lawyer in his bio, which refers to him merely as a "senior analyst," but Eric Papachristos, 31, apparently works in the Boston office of Ropes & Gray.

In addition, according to the Boston Herald (which confirms his Ropes & Gray connection), Eric co-owns Gypsy Bar, Victoria's Diner, and The Breakfast Club. We aren't familiar with these fine establishments, but if you are, feel free to chime in.

Sadly for him, Eric might want to keep his day job(s), since he was eliminated last night from the Bachelorette. He tried to bond with DeAnna over their shared Greek heritage, but she was having none of it. As he was sent home, Eric confessed that "it hurts to be rejected" and that he's "never had to compete for someone's affection before."

Correction: Whoops, sorry about that. Although Eric works for Ropes, he is not a lawyer; he handles "Financial Planning and Analysis" for the firm. See his LinkedIn profile (via a commenter).

But another legal eagle, Jeremy Anderson, fared much better. He's now viewed by his fellow contestants as the frontrunner, having racked up two roses. Here's how he succeeded, from EW.com:

In the Dodger dugout, he told DeAnna that both of his parents are dead and that he's had a hard time opening up because he's trying to protect himself and his family. DeAnna, whose mother died of cancer when she was 12, now has someone who knows what she's experienced. Jeremy's position on the show, and maybe even in DeAnna's heart, seems secure. Is he for real?

Real or not, he's quite a hottie (with ample upper-body strength -- he came in second fared well in the push-up contest). Furthermore, when Jeremy and DeAnna got their smooch on, he looked like a good kisser.

But Eric, who got the boot, isn't bad-looking either. He got sent home, even though some less attractive gents (in our opinion) were allowed to stay on.

Who's hotter, Eric or Jeremy? Compare their headshots at the top of this post, then take our poll below.

Update: As noted in the comments, there is a second lawyer on the show: Fred, a 30-year-old lawyer from Chicago. If you know more about his professional background -- for example, where he went to law school or where he works -- please enlighten us (in the comments or by email).

Earlier: SMU Law Grad to Vie for the Bachelorette's Heart

Several loyal ATL readers (and Bachelorette watchers?) tipped us off to a lawyer being among the 25 bachelors competing on the ABC reality TV show this season.

The eligible bachelor is 30-year-old Texan Jeremy Anderson. ABC cites his profession as "real estate attorney." He's a December 2007 grad of SMU Dedman School of Law.

Speaking of layoffs at Hunton & Williams, our tipster says Anderson (who summered there in 2007) was let go from their Dallas office when he went on the show:

A first-year Dallas associate (who took the February 2008 bar) was placed on probation by Hunton Williams after asking for a leave of absence to do The Bachelorette. The firm is apparently waiting for the season to air before making a final decision, although they obviously plan to fire him. Who has the gall to ask for a leave of absence during their first year, especially to do a reality TV show? But assuming it's a legitimate reason to request time off, is Hunton's reaction reasonable and fair?

His name is Jeremy Anderson... There's a rumor that he makes it to the final three. His bio was taken off Hunton's website.

When we called Hunton about the layoff rumors in Charlotte, we also asked about Anderson. The only comment we got from their spokesperson was, "On a personal note, I love the show."

We appreciate your sending this along, ATL readers. As one of you predicts, we will "enjoy covering Jeremy . . . and his abs."

Here is a juicy bit of gossip, about the complicated love lives of three leading legal / political thinkers. From a Harvard Law School alum who was a year ahead of celebrity professor Samantha Power (one of the world's top 100 public intellectuals):

Cass Sunstein and Samantha Power are engaged, but apparently it's all secret because Cass hasn't told [his former paramour] Martha Nussbaum yet.

Well, it's not a secret any more.

We reached out to both Professor Sunstein and Professor Power. Neither had any comment. If you happen to have more info, please email us.

The Sunstein-Power romance, as you may recall, blossomed when they were working for the Obama campaign. Now, of course, Senator Barack Obama is on the brink of securing the Democratic presidential nomination. If he wins the general election, expect both Sunstein and Power to land plum positions in the Obama administration.

How plum? Check out Garrett Graff's fantastic piece about possible Obama cabinet picks, in the latest issue of Washingtonian magazine. Graff identifies Power, "the Pulitzer-winning human-rights researcher and author," as a "wild card" on Obama's foreign policy team.

Emphasis on "wild." As Graff notes, Power "helped tutor Obama in foreign policy, but resigned after comments where she called Hillary Clinton a 'monster.'" Graff suggests that Power "might take a leading role on the National Security Council or at the State Department or Pentagon."

And what about Cass Sunstein? He's not mentioned in the Washingtonian article, which focuses on Cabinet positions. But we could easily see Professor Sunstein, an authority on administrative law, snagging a seat on the prestigiously glistening D.C. Circuit -- en route to a possible berth on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Expect these two to be the toast of the D.C. cocktail party circuit in 2009 -- or, in the event of a John McCain victory, the most coveted company at Harvard faculty dinner parties.

Who Might Be on an Obama Cabinet? [Washingtonian]

Earlier: The Real Reason Cass Sunstein's Going to Harvard? He's Got the Power
Wanna Be A Public Intellectual? Date Cass Sunstein!

In the current issue of Foreign Policy magazine, you'll find their list of the world's top 100 public intellectuals. The list appears here (and you can vote for your top five). Bios of the honorees -- and we must confess, some of these names didn't ring a bell -- appear here.

The public intellectuals explicitly identified on the list as lawyers, judges, or legal scholars are (in alphabetical order):

-- Aitzaz Ahsan, president of Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association, and a leader in the Pakistan People's Party;

-- Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel laureate;

-- Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig; and

-- Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit, who wrote the book on public intellectuals.

And here are two other honorees with legal links:

-- University of Chicago law professor and philosopher Martha Nussbaum; and

-- journalist, Harvard Law School graduate, and Kennedy School of Government professor Samantha Power.

What do Professors Nussbaum and Power share in common? Cass Sunstein, as you may recall.

Professor Nussbaum is a former flame of Professor Sunstein, while Professor Power is his current main squeeze. Rumor has it that his move to Harvard Law School from his longtime academic home, the University of Chicago Law School, was prompted by a desire to be closer to the center of power -- Samantha Power, that is.

In their paper Six Degrees of Cass Sunstein: Collaboration Networks in Legal Scholarship, Professors Paul Edelman and Tracey George declared Cass Sunstein to be the "Kevin Bacon" of the law. But it looks like his influence extends beyond the narrow world of legal academia, into the World of Ideas, writ large.

In sum, two percent of the world's top 100 public intellectuals are former or current lovers of Cass Sunstein. This should provide consolation for Cass, who didn't make the list himself.

Professor Sunstein, you are the man.

The Top 100 Public Intellectuals [Foreign Policy]
The Top 100 Public Intellectuals: Bios [Foreign Policy]
Six Degrees of Cass Sunstein: Collaboration Networks in Legal Scholarship [SSRN / Green Bag]

Earlier: The Real Reason Cass Sunstein's Going to Harvard? He's Got the Power

We don't want to ruin any surprises, but we've got some high-quality material for you this week at Legal Eagle Wedding Watch. There may even be a sparkly credential or two that we haven't seen in this space in a while. (Cough -- Rhodes -- cough.)

Behold, our outstanding finalists:

1.) Keira Driansky and David Simon

2.) Maya Nath and Benjamin Curtis

3.) Alexa Davidson and Marc Suskin

4.) Francesca Harper and Eric Cohen

More about our featured couples, after the jump.

The legal connection to this story is tenuous, but not non-existent. Criminal charges could be filed. And maybe there's a products liability case against the toilet manufacturer.

Anyway, it's such a great story -- and no, it's not from The Onion -- that we're going to link to it. From the AP:

A 35-year-old woman who apparently spent two years in her boyfriend's bathroom in Ness City had become stuck to the toilet seat, authorities said Wednesday.

"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body. It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself," Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said in a telephone interview, adding that it appeared her body fat had grown attached to the seat.

Authorities planned to present their report to the county attorney later Wednesday to see if any charges should be filed against her 36-year-old boyfriend, Whipple said.

The boyfriend called police on Feb. 27 to report that "there was something wrong with his girlfriend," Whipple said, adding he never explained why it took him two years to call.

Is this woman a lawyer by any chance? Stick a Concordance-equipped computer in front of her, and let the doc review begin. She'll bill 3000 hours without breaking a sweat.

So, who has the movie rights? If they can make a feature film about a guy who took up residence at JFK Airport, surely they can do something with this amazing tale. Casting suggestions?

Sheriff: Woman sat on boyfriend's toilet for 2 years [Associated Press]

As Wonkette points out, disgraced New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and his wife, Silda Spitzer, graced the cover of 02138 magazine as a top "Power Couple."

02138, in case you're not elite enough to be familiar with it, describes itself as "the lifestyle magazine for Harvard influentials." Yes, it's just as d-baggish dreadful as it sounds.

Also fawningly profiled in that very same issue: Professors Martha Nussbaum and Cass Sunstein. Alas, they're no longer together, as we reported here.

Moral of the story: if 02138 invites you and your significant other to be profiled as a Harvard "power couple," just say no.

Spitzer and Wife Used To Be Harvard's Favorite 'Power Couple' [Wonkette]

We're offline right now, speaking at Stanford Law School. We'll be back shortly (and pick up where we left off with the Eliot Spitzer scandal).

In the meantime, check out this funny post by Marc Randazza, about some dubious proposed legislation in Massachusetts that could criminalize certain types of pick-up lines.

Pickup Line Quagmire in Massachusetts [The Legal Satyricon]

We greatly enjoyed our recent visit to the University of Chicago Law School. The U. Chicago students were very welcoming and made us feel right at home, even inviting us to their law school musical -- which, by the way, was delightful.

(We added many of them as friends on Facebook before we were mysteriously banned from the site, without notice or explanation. So if you no longer see us on FB, it's not because we "de-friended" you, but because our account was disabled.)

A few Chicago students, however, had a bone to pick with us. They objected to this ATL post, which cast the recently announced departure of Professor Cass Sunstein -- prominent scholar, beloved teacher, and possible Supreme Court nominee under President Obama -- as a hiring coup by Harvard Law School, a triumph by HLS over Chicago. They emphasized that Professor Sunstein's leaving the Windy City for Cambridge was prompted by personal rather than professional reasons.

Professor Sunstein said as much his farewell email (emphasis added; in fact, all emphases added throughout this post, unless otherwise indicated):

I'm writing to say that I've just accepted an appointment at Harvard Law School. It is an understatement to say that I don't take this step easily or lightly. As most of you know, I've been reflecting on this question for several years. I finally decided, for personal reasons, that I need a change.

Since he's a prominent Obama supporter -- as well an adviser to the campaign, but more on that later, since it ties into our tale -- it's not surprising that Professor Sunstein is All About Change.

The law school's popular leader, Dean Saul Levmore, also stressed the personal component to Professor Sunstein's move. As he told the University of Chicago's student newspaper, the Maroon:

"I'm sort of embarrassed that [the story] said that the University of Chicago couldn't be reached for comment," Levmore said. "It looks like we didn't want to talk, but the truth is that this decision [to leave Chicago for Harvard] was based on personal reasons and I respect that privacy. The media will find out about them soon enough."

With a comment like this, Dean Levmore was basically begging us to go digging. So dig we did.

Let's see, Cass Sunstein's "personal reasons" for leaving U. Chicago... hold on a sec. Isn't Professor Sunstein part of legal academia's most fabulous power couple, together with that renowned philosopher queen, Professor Martha Nussbaum? And didn't Professor Nussbaum just turn down a Harvard offer?

That was then; this is now. What we learned in our investigation is consistent with this ATL comment, as well as this (subsequently removed) Wikipedia edit.

It appears that Professor Sunstein may be part of a new "power couple" -- in the most literal sense. Rumor has it that he's romantically involved with Professor Samantha Power -- a beautiful, brainy professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, who is roughly 15 years his junior. She is a Pulitzer Prize winner who has also been profiled in Men's Vogue (see glamorous photo, at the top of this post). What's not to like?

Update: More about Samantha Power here (from a college classmate who tried to hit on her, without success, and just ended arguing politics with her).

Now, please don't give us full credit (or blame) for bringing to light the Sunstein-Power relationship. When we attended the Chicago Law School musical last weekend, Samantha Power got a shout-out near the end of the show, when the Cass Sunstein character announced his departure for Harvard. So the rumor of her romance with Professor Sunstein is already widely known throughout the U. Chicago community (and beyond); it's no state secret. It is already known to hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

We reached out to all three members of this Mensalicious love triangle, which seems to come straight out of a Saul Bellow novel. Find out what we learned -- two of them had no comment, but one of them did -- after the jump.