Law Schools

'NYU Law' Grad Hurls Racial Epithets On Subway... Earns Bowl Of Soup To The Face

The worst law school exam issue spotter ever.

By  
on

UPDATE (10/10/17 1:37 p.m.): We have some insight into our mystery “lawyer.” Read on.

Over the weekend, a self-proclaimed NYU Law grad took a leisurely ride through New York City and decided to start flinging racial epithets around while citing a high school civics level grasp of legal concepts to “prove” he’s a lawyer. He’s also drinking a Bud Light Lime-a-Rita, which… whatever, bro.

Guys, I really think Jared Kushner’s starting to crack under the pressure of this White House.

Actually, it wasn’t Kushner. In fact, there’s a lot we don’t know about this video. Is this ersatz John Rocker really an NYU Law grad? Or is this an NYLS grad boasting about “NYU’s Downtown Campus“? Perhaps it’s just a random idiot trying to inflate his own credentials by draping himself in a law degree and jargon as an intimidation thing. If intimidation was the plan, then needless to say it doesn’t work.

(Video courtesy of Joshua R. Pine. If you want to read his thoughts as an observer, he spoke with Gothamist here)

The amazing thing about this video is not that a lawyer could harbor such vile sentiment, but that the L train was running smoothly and on time. Honestly, for a “legal scholar,” he sounds like a 1L trying to shove as many of his flashcard words into everyday conversation. “That’s assault!” “That’s my property!” I half expected to hear, “I’ll sue for replevin!” at the end. If you’re in law school and gearing up for exams, this isn’t a particularly compelling refresher course on basic concepts, though it’s a remarkably powerful case study for your seminar paper on how neutrally applied legal principles are principally shields for white male privilege.

Sponsored

The NYU Law community would like to think someone like this would never ooze out of their school, but the fact of the matter is there’s rotten in every institution. Complaining about “P.C. thought police” and “heckler’s veto” is sensationalized drivel designed to push racial coding and fuel a culture of generational distrust, but it’s worth remembering that every one of those stories has at its heart an attention-seeking troll of a tipster who wants their “victimhood” exposed. The machine doesn’t run without someone calling Tucker Carlson to complain that their law school has a gender-neutral bathroom or an expansive read of the Fourteenth Amendment or whatever the outrage of the week may be. Students and recent graduates often enjoy a false sense of security in the light of their earnest debates over the future of the law, but — even if they’re quiet — there’s always someone in there who just wants to see the world burn. There’s just nothing you can do about it. Don’t take it personally, NYU Law.

Just keep an eye out for anyone drinking Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas. They’re not to be trusted.

UPDATE (10/10/17 1:37 p.m.): A tipster informs us that they have actually met this guy once. Here’s the insight:

I know for a fact that he is not an NYU Law grad. He did tell me that he used to work at NYU Law in some administrative capacity, I think while he was an undergrad (someplace other than NYU, I think).

So that’s what we have so far.

Sponsored

UPDATE (10/11/17 2:07 p.m.): NYU Law has reached out to confirm that Paul Lawson, the guy named as the ranter in this video, never went to NYU Law. They also informed us that no one with that name has ever been employed by the school.

HeadshotJoe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

Topics

, , , , ,