This morning three different law professors sent me this video of U.S. Senate Candidate and Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren claiming to be the first nursing mother to ever take the bar exam. One of the professors, who is a liberal academic, noted that she knows that claim to be untrue from personal experience. However, as noted by Winnie Comfort of the New Jersey Judiciary (which administers state’s bar exam), the bar does not track nursing habits and women have been taking the New Jersey bar exam since 1895. This was not a claim to be a nursing Cherokee mother, but the question remains why Warren is making such controversial boasts when she has a great financial expertise record to run on. Worse still, Warren today admitted that she did in fact claim minority status at Penn and Harvard — after insisting that she was unaware of the claims.
Obviously, the running of a law professor has made the Warren race a focus of law professors around the country. With these issues becoming part of the campaign, that fascination has grown to unprecedented levels. Warren has enjoyed overwhelming support in the academy from what I have seen. That support remains strong, though law professors are still chattering about these controversies.
These distractions however cannot be simply blamed on conservative publications, which are running the stories. Warren does not need such claims to distinguish herself. It could not come at a worse time when she has been unable to support her claim to be Cherokee In one of the most bizarre twists on the story, there are now accounts that great-great-great grandfather may have been a member of the Tennessee Militia who rounded up Cherokees and pushed them into the horrific Trail of Tears. Of course, even if true, that would not alter the fact that his wife was a Cherokee. However, the Boston Globe has confirmed that there is no documentation to support the claim.
With today’s admission that she did in fact repeatedly claim minority status at both law schools, I am again left perplexed why she would take so long to admit her claim. As I noted earlier, I could not imagine any way that such a claim, let alone repeated claims, unless it was made by the law professor.
On the merits, there is significant doubt about the claim. Warren’s bio lists her as becoming pregnant in 1976 before graduating from law school. By that point, the chances that she was the first woman to be a nursing mother during the bar seems doubtful, but more importantly it is not clear how she would know.
Once again, this is not an issue of importance, but it is one that Warren raised. While the claim of being a minority does have significant aspects for law schools and academics, nursing is not a matter that seems particularly relevant. However, what is fascinating is that I would have been impressed with Warren noting that she nursed during the bar exam – reflecting the challenges of female lawyers. No need to be first. I was trying not to hyperventilate at the time. I would be impressed even if she was the latest in a long line of nursing mothers during bar exams.
Nevertheless, she still looks good in comparison to 13 Senatorial candidates who are now accused of having backgrounds that include criminal convictions or tax violations.
I wonder if any of our attorneys have accounts to share of challenges that they faced during the bar examination. I know of one professor who was caught in a broken elevator in a hotel during his break from the bar. I know of another lawyer who was under cancer treatment and had to leave to throw up from the medication (he passed).
Matt,
You misunderstood my comment. I meant I don’t know why Warren felt it important to tell her audience–not the test proctors–that she was the first nursing mother in New Jersey to take the bar.
I know all about lactation–from experience.
SwM,
The statute of limitations is three years.
Barney, She said it in 2011. Was she a candidate when she said it? The right wing websites are going crazy over this just like they did over Holder yesterday.
Why is she trying to lose the election. If she did not say it, then why is it in a video? Who is this fraud that is immitating Ms. Warren? Certainly she is “smarter than a 5th Grader” apparently not.
Blouise
1, May 31, 2012 at 11:48 am
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woo hoo!
Blouise, Ha!Ha!, I was waiting for you. I have my credit card on the desk.
Reminder to self … another contribution to Warren campaign.
SwM,
I pledged a contribution every time a stupid story about Warren appears on this blog. This is starting to get expensive. 😉
The first nursing mom in NJ? Maybe, maybe not. I can’t believe that nursing moms are the norm at bar exams. Another triviality to try to marginalize a competent woman.
Women have been taking the Bar exam in New Jersey since 1895. Warren took her bar exam in 1976. There is no way she was the “first nursing mother to take the exam.”
FYI: I also sent the video of Warren talking about nursing and the Bar exam to the Boston Globe on the same day I sent it to the Herald- but the Globe didn’t do anything on it.
Barney Fife is only allowed one bullet. So why is he the deputy?
I suppose, Barney Fife is her campaign manager…….. Where’s sheriff Taylor when you need him…..
She probably remembered this as the bar exam lasts all day, and she was very uncomfortable. There were no special accommodations back then. .Women in law had it very tough, and there were very few of them. They all have horror stories. Although Sandra Day O’Connor is older, the only job she was offered was a legal secretary. I once heard Kay Bailey Hutchinson tell the story about not being able to be hired as a lawyer after graduation in the seventies and having to go to work as reporter.
Completely agree, Professor…Ms. Warren has fine credentials to run on, but for reasons only she knows she continually makes these silly and outlandish claims. Why? I don’t care if she was the first nursing mother to take the bar exam. I also don’t care if she is 1/100th Native American. I care that she appears committed to serious financial reform and consumer protection. That being said, these types of boasts are now becoming the rule rather than the exception.
Hi,
I am the person who found this video and sent it to the Boston Herald last weekend. As the Herald reported that women have been taking the New Jersey Bar since 1895, I feel quite sure that there were other nursing mothers before Warren who took the Bar.
Elaine M.
Because she had to lactate. Maybe she needed a breast pump. But you’re not supposed to tell anybody about that.
I know one gentleman who got diarrhea when he was taking the bar exam. It was unpleasant for him–just as it was for those who were taking the exam with him.
I’m not sure why Warren felt it important to tell people that she was the first nursing mother to take the bar in New Jersey. Was she nursing while taking the exam????
I passed the CPA exam in Idaho. But I wasn’t nursing at the time. Poor me.
I told you she has a real genius for satire… truly one of the finest comedic minds in years.
But, exactly, how are we to… lets see… ummmm… examine this claim.?
Is it possible Warren has introduced a distraction from the real issues of the campaign? She has certainly proven that she is a fascinating candidate in more ways than one.
If we are to take this seriously as an important capability then I fear Scott Brown just cannot compete.
Please do not show any photos to prove this allegation. What I want to know is why does she get knocked up before she was ready to handle the duties? Was she still that ignorant? I dont know nuthin bout birthin babies Miz Scarlett, but why is this on the blog other than to discredit her?
Beginning to think she really doesn;t want to win.