The Volokh Conspiracy
[Ilya Somin, September 16, 2006 at 6:15pm] Trackbacks
The Coolest Professor in the Legal Academy:

Paul Horwitz of Prawfsblawg is taking nominations for the much-coveted title of "The Coolest Professor in the Legal Academy." Of course, as Prof. Horwitz points out, "winning this title is a little like winning the prize for tallest Munchkin."

Lev:
"The Coolest Professor in the Legal Academy."

And now, in the contest for "the best Scottish cooking" the winner is
9.16.2006 11:48pm
Mary Katherine Day-Petrano (mail):
Paul Horowitz, indeed, is pretty cool. See, Paul horowitx outing himself as a disabled person, Stuntz Brings the Pain thread, Sept. 10, 2006, on Prawfsblawg. But, "the coolest?" Are you sure EV doesn't get that Prize?
9.17.2006 12:23am
Mary Katherine Day-Petrano (mail):
"horowitx," apologies for my AT device.
9.17.2006 12:24am
James Lindgren (mail):
It's funny, but Glenn Reynolds is both the "coolest" law professor I know and one of the dorkiest.

He's like Steven Spielberg--dorky by high school standards, but strangely cool by adult standards.
9.17.2006 1:50am
James Lindgren (mail):
Oh, there's also Volokh, Althouse, and Balkin.
9.17.2006 1:51am
Mike BUSL07 (mail) (www):
Jay Wexler

www.jaywex.com
9.17.2006 2:05am
FXKLM:
John Harrison of UVA Law is another example of a person who manages to be simultaneously very cool and very dorky.
9.17.2006 8:48am
Passing Through (mail):
I second the Jay Wexler nomination.

If you don't have the opportunity to take a Wexler class or the opportunity to chat with Wexler outside of class, The website referenced by Mike BUSL07 will give you a good deal of insight into the mind of Wexler. Quite quirky . . . quite funny . . . totally cool.
9.17.2006 11:44am
fishbane (mail):
I know popularity matters (duh), and this crowd is more political than tech, but, hey, Lessig?
9.17.2006 1:18pm
U.Va. 2L (mail):
I'll second the Harrison nomination.
9.17.2006 1:44pm
NROW:
Posner, for crisp, clear legal writing, and rhetorical deftness. See, e.g., his recent opinion on BIA competence and oral argument oral argument pertaining thereto.

Fireworks begin about 11 min into oral argument.
9.17.2006 2:08pm
Greedy Clerk (mail):
No doubt -- William Van Alstyne.

Least cool -- Ann Althouse, frankly I cannot believe that a law professor would act in such a callous and, frankly, mean manner. Her ex post attempt to justify her making fun of someone for their looks by pretending she was just riling a young woman for claiming to be a feminist and, at the same time supporting Bill Clinton were absurd. Ann's point there may very well have been valid, and it certainly is something worth discussing, but why that justifies making fun of someone's breasts is beyond me. A mid-50's law professor acting the way she did is shocking -- and if it were a male law professor, forget about it. There'd be protests up the wazoo!
9.17.2006 4:53pm
FXKLM:
Greedy Clerk: How does that issue reflect on Althouse's coolness? Even if you take the least charitable view of her behavior, there is nothing especially uncool about insulting or sexually harrassing a stranger. There is little, if any, correlation between goodness and coolness. Your rant against Althouse is irrelevent.
9.17.2006 5:43pm
Greedy Clerk (mail):
there is nothing especially uncool about insulting or sexually harrassing a stranger

I would just note that I disagree, especially with the bolded portion of your statement. That is quite uncool.
9.17.2006 5:45pm
FXKLM:
Sexual harrassment, especially if it's witty, is most definitely cool. I'm not saying it's right or that it's acceptable behavior. I just can't understand how a person could think that it's uncool.

Imagine Frank Sinatra sitting in a bar with his buddies drinking heavily, insulting strangers, and grabbing the asses of random passing waitresses. You might not approve of that behavior, but can you honestly say that there is anything uncool about it? Of course sexual harrassment is cool. That's why people do it.
9.17.2006 7:35pm
arthur (mail):
I nominate Walter Dellinger. The day after Douglas Ginzerg was withdrawn from Supreme Court consideration for pot smoking, he opened Con Law class by asking, "Who here is now disqualified from the Supreme Court?" and raised his own hand. Especially cool because unlike the rest of us he was already on most short lists.
9.17.2006 10:15pm
Tyrone Slothrop (mail) (www):
Elena Kagan.
9.18.2006 2:03pm
Porkchop (mail):
Greedy Clerk,

Althouse's comments remind me very much of Dana Carvey's Church Lady sketches on Saturday Night Live. She seems to have an unhealthy preoccupation with the protuberances of others.
9.18.2006 4:21pm

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