Scales of Justice

"Because justice is blind... not deaf"

Harvard Law School's most beloved a cappella group


Sorry, this web site is only current through 2002, though the group is still active. For the current group, click here. You can also write me an e-mail if you've got a new detail to add about Scales history or recent years.

Welcome to the web site of the Scales of Justice, HLS's a cappella group. Just in case you're wondering, a cappella, meaning "in chapel style" in Italian, is choral music without instrumental accompaniment. We sing traditional songs, contemporary music, law parodies, and occasionally holiday carols. We've sung recently with such other university groups as Yale Law School's Habeas Chorus, Tufts's Fletcher School of Diplomacy's The Ambassachords, and Boston University's Bostoniensis.

Scales of Justice through the years
  • Scales, 2003-04

    • Our members
      Maria Meginnes (president), Matt Astle (musical director), Shelly Astle, Jeremy Blachman, Vonn Christenson, Ellen Ginsberg, Hillary Gould, Matt Smith, David Stankiewicz, Tanya Stankunas, Stephen Waller
    • Our repertoire
      Signed Sealed Delivered (I'm Yours) (Stevie Wonder), Be My Baby (Ronettes), And So It Goes (Billy Joel), Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls), California Dreamin' (Mamas and Papas), God Only Knows (Beach Boys/Manhattan Transfer), In the Still of the Night (Five Satins), Appointed Forever (Bar and Grill Singers), Like a Prayer (Madonna), Don't Call On Me, Estoppel, 8 Hour Exam, TV theme songs medley

  • Scales, 2002-03

    • Material to come

  • Scales, 2001-02

    • Pictures
    • Our members
      Wendy Netter (president), Caren Van Winkle (musical director), Cathy Bong, Laurie Carr, Jeremy Huff, Rob Krummen, Al Lambert, Maria Meginnes, Eric Mogelof, Ayesha Najam, Sasha Volokh, Jessica Weinberg
    • Our repertoire
      Smooth Operator, The Star-Spangled Banner, and more to come

  • Scales, 2000-01

    • Pictures
    • Our members
      Laurie Carr (president), David Markus (musical director), Michael Scoville (musical director, Spring Term), Matej Accetto, Tara Grove, Rob Krummen, Katie Lachter, Wendy Netter, Eric Selmon, Caren Van Winkle, Sasha Volokh, Jessica Weinberg
    • Our repertoire
      Africa (Toto), Carol of the Bells, Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls), Closing Time, Contract's Unenforceable, Criminal (Fiona Apple), Ederlezi, Estoppel, Helplessly Hoping (Crosby, Stills & Nash), Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer), Like a Prayer (Madonna), Lonely at the Top, Seven Bridges Road (The Eagles), Shenandoah (traditional), Thank U (Alanis Morissette), That Lonesome Road (James Taylor), Under a C, You Had Time (Ani Difranco)

  • Scales, 1999-2000

    • Pictures
    • Our members
      Patsy De Witt (president), David Markus (musical director), Mary Claire Borys, Laurie Carr, Tara Grove, Kevin Polke, Eric Selmon, Sasha Volokh, Jessica Weinberg, Mari Zellner-Sawyer
    • Our repertoire
      All for You (Sister Hazel), Always Be My Baby (Mariah Carey), Carol of the Bells, Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls), Contract's Unenforceable, Estoppel, Helplessly Hoping (Crosby, Stills & Nash), Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Like a Prayer (Madonna), Nes Gadol, Oh Come Emmanuel, Rubber Duckie, Seven Bridges Road (The Eagles), Shenandoah (traditional), Spontaneous Human Combustion (The Bobs), Time After Time (author unknown -- not the Cyndi Lauper song), Under a C

  • A bit of Scales history. (Thanks to Marc Channick, Tara Koslov, Ellen Chubin, and Robin Springberg Parry.)

    • Foundation.

      Scales of Justice was founded in October 1991 by Ellen Chubin '93 and Gail Javitt '93 (sopranos). Many of the founding members were in the HLS Drama Society's production of Guys and Dolls at the time. The motto was "Because justice is blind... not deaf."

      The other founding members were sopranos Tara Koslov '94 (1991-94) and Funmi Arewa '94; altos Julie Lythcott-Haims '94 (1991-94) and Robin Springberg '94 (1991-94); tenor Marc Channick '94 (1991-94); bass Jamie Bouldin '94 (1991-94); Joel McKuin '?? (??), Ed Ducayet '93 (??), and one other woman.

      Then-Dean Bob Clark was the faculty advisor.


    • The first year (1991-92).

      The first Scales concert was on Thursday, March 5, 1992, at 8:30 p.m. in the Hark (before L.A. Law) together with Harvard Medical School's Countway Basies. The Record ran an article about the upcoming concert on February 28, 1992, including a photo of the group. The program of the March 5, 1992 debut concert was the following: Gail Javitt, conductor; Up the Ladder to the Roof (Tara Koslov solo); Stand by Me (Jamie Bouldin and Funmi Arewa '94 solos); Estoppel, an original song by Ellen Chubin and Gail Javitt (Ellen Chubin solo); The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Julie Lythcott-Haims solo); Only You (Yaz) (Marc Channick solo); Kiss Him Goodbye (Jamie Bouldin solo).

      The April 29, 1992 concert during the HLS Drama Society Talent Show consisted of For the Longest Time (Joel McKuin solo, Tara Koslov conducting); The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Julie Lythcott-Haims solo); And So It Goes (Ed Ducayet and Gail Javitt solos, Ellen Chubin conducting), and Up the Ladder (Tara Koslov solo).

      The group also performed for HLS alums, and did a lunchtime serenade for Admitted Students' Day.


    • The second year (1992-93).

      The members in the second year were: sopranos Ellen Chubin (co-president), Gail Javitt (co-president), Tara Koslov, and Funmi Arewa (librarian); altos Kendy Hess '93, Julie Lythcott-Haims (financial officer), and Robin Springberg; tenors Marc Channick, Bill Lebeau '95, and Anthony Pergola '95; and basses Jamie Bouldin and Andrew Dietderich '95.

      In its second year, Scales performed on October 22, 1992, in the Hark, before the premiere of L.A. Law; on a Wednesday in December 1992 with the Academia Nuts from the Kennedy School; on Thursday, December 3, 1992, at 8:30 p.m. in the Hark with the Harvard Business School's She-E-Os; at the HLS Alumni Reunions in April 1993; at the Drama Society Talent Show on April 29, 1993; and on Saturday, May 1, 1993, at 8:30 p.m., in the Ames Courtroom with Yale Law School's Habeas Chorus.

      The December 1992 concert at the Kennedy School with the Academia Nuts consisted of: For the Longest Time (Billy Joel) (arranged by Tara Koslov), Only You, Our House (Is a Very Very Very Fine House), Under a C (composed by Bill Lebeau as his Scales audition piece in Fall 1992, and incorporated into the Scales repertoire), Cecilia, Up the Ladder, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

      At the December 3, 1992 concert with the She-E-Os, the group sang: For the Longest Time, Only You, and others.

      At the May 1, 1993 concert with Habeas Chorus, the group sang: For the Longest Time (Anthony Pergola solo), Estoppel (Ellen Chubin solo), The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Julie Lythcott-Haims solo), Only You (Marc Channick solo), Our House (Kendy Hess solo), (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Human League) (arranged by Ph.D. candidate Peter Alexander), Under a C (Bill LeBeau solo), The Constitution (from Schoolhouse Rock) (Tara Koslov, Julie Lythcott-Haims, Robin Springberg), I Fought the Law (and the Law Won) (Andy Dietderich solo), Kiss Him Goodbye (Jamie Bouldin solo), and the encore was Up the Ladder (Tara Koslov solo).


    • Later years.

      Scales also sang together with The Wandering Mistrials of BU or BC Law School.

      Additional repertoire through 1994 includes: In the Still of the Night, (Still Haven't Found) What I'm Looking for (U2) (arranged by Robin Springberg), Runaround Sue, and California Dreaming.

      Later members include Brooke Deratany '96 (1994-?) and Dan Vail.

  • Do you know anything else about Scales pre-Sept. 1999? Pictures? Names of members? Let me know!
Scales on the web and other useful links: Return to Sasha Volokh's schools page
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