Obama's Path To Presidency Of Harvard Law Review

Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, first made history as a law student at Harvard when he was elected the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review in 1990. Obama arrived at Harvard in 1988, at the age of 27, after working as a community organiser in Chicago.

Obama's unique background and sense of self set him apart from his classmates. His performance inside and outside the classroom attracted more notice than his distinctive personal story. He impressed Professor Laurence Tribe, who hired him as a research assistant—a role rarely given to first-year students. Obama's eloquence and ability to bring people together were also noted by his peers.

Obama's election as the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations, which later evolved into his memoir, Dreams from My Father.

Obama's election as the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review

Barack Obama's election as the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review was a significant milestone, making national headlines in the spring of 1990. Obama, who enrolled in Harvard Law School in 1988, stood out among his peers and was known for his eloquence, maturity, and ability to bring people together.

Obama's unique personal history, including his mixed-race background and his previous work as a community organizer in Chicago, set him apart from his classmates. Despite arriving at Harvard at the age of 27, older than most of his peers, Obama exuded a sense of comfort and confidence in himself. His performance inside and outside the classroom attracted attention, and he was hired as a research assistant to constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe, who recalled being struck by Obama's unusual combination of intelligence, curiosity, and maturity.

Obama's time at Harvard Law School provided him with valuable connections and experiences that would later prove beneficial in his political career. He met professors and classmates who would play a role in his meteoric rise from state senator to President of the United States in just five years. Obama's time at Harvard Law School laid the foundation for his future success and was a pivotal moment in his journey towards becoming the first African-American president of the United States.

Obama's unique background and identity

Barack Obama's unique background and identity played a significant role in his election as the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review in 1990. Obama's personal history and identity set him apart from his classmates at Harvard Law School. Obama was born in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, to an 18-year-old American mother of English, Welsh, German, Swiss, and Irish descent, and a 27-year-old Kenyan father. He spent part of his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia and had a complex identity as the child of an interracial couple. Despite this, Obama's classmates recalled that he seemed comfortable with himself and his identity.

Obama's background and identity also contributed to his distinctive perspective and approach to leadership. He preferred to remain behind the scenes and lead by example, navigating fractious political disputes on campus by casting himself as a mediator and conciliator. This approach earned him respect from members of the Law Review, including those who did not agree with his political views. Obama's unique background and identity, therefore, played a significant role in shaping his leadership style and how he navigated political disagreements.

Obama's background and identity also influenced his career path and interests. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He also worked as a community organizer in Chicago before attending law school, which may have further shaped his perspective on social justice issues. Obama's background and identity, therefore, had a lasting impact on his career choices and how he approached leadership roles.

Obama's performance inside and outside the classroom

Barack Obama's performance inside and outside the classroom attracted more notice than his distinctive personal story. In the spring of his first year at Harvard Law School, Obama stopped by the office of Professor Laurence Tribe and inquired about becoming a research assistant. Tribe rarely hired first-year students but recalls being struck by Obama's unusual combination of intelligence, curiosity, and maturity. He was so impressed that he hired Obama on the spot and wrote his name and phone number on his calendar for posterity. Obama helped research a complicated article connecting physics and constitutional law, as well as a book about abortion. The following year, Obama enrolled in Tribe's constitutional law course. Professor Martha Minow recalls:

> "He had a kind of eloquence and respect from his peers that was really quite remarkable. When he spoke in her class on law and society, everyone became very attentive and very quiet."

Artur Davis, a United States Congressman from Alabama, still vividly recalls how much Obama inspired him with a speech he gave during orientation week on striving for excellence and mastery. Obama displayed other traits in law school besides eloquence that would define his success as a presidential candidate. "You could see many of his attributes, approach to politics, and ability to bring people together back then," said Michael Froman, who worked with Obama on the Law Review.

As a campus leader, Obama successfully navigated the fractious political disputes raging on campus. By 1991, student protestors demanding the school hire more black faculty had staged a sit-in inside the dean's office and filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination. Obama spoke at one protest rally but largely preferred to stay behind the scenes and lead by example. He opted against taking sides in the ideological disputes that often divided the politically polarized Law Review staff, casting himself instead as a mediator and conciliator. That approach earned the enduring respect of Law Review members, including those not necessarily inclined to agree with his political views. "He tended not to enter these debates and disputes but rather bring people together and forge compromises," said Bradford Berenson, who was among the relatively small number of conservatives on the Law Review staff.

Obama's role as a campus leader

Barack Obama's role as a campus leader at Harvard Law School was marked by his ability to navigate fractious political disputes and foster unity. Obama, who became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review in 1990, was described by his peers as someone who stood out for his unusual combination of intelligence, curiosity, and maturity.

As a campus leader, Obama successfully navigated the politically polarized Law Review staff, casting himself as a mediator and conciliator. This approach earned him the respect of Law Review members, including those who did not necessarily agree with his political views. Obama's leadership style was characterized by his ability to bring people together and forge compromises rather than entering into ideological disputes.

Obama's performance inside and outside the classroom attracted notice, and he was known for his eloquence and the respect he commanded from his peers. He was also recognized for his ability to inspire others, with his speech during orientation week leaving a lasting impression on one of his classmates, who recalled being convinced that he had just heard a future Supreme Court justice or president.

In addition to his role in the Law Review, Obama was also active in addressing issues of racial justice on campus. He spoke at a protest rally demanding that the school hire more Black faculty, but he generally preferred to stay behind the scenes and lead by example. Obama's time at Harvard Law School demonstrated his ability to lead and bring people together, traits that would later contribute to his success as a presidential candidate and the first African-American president of the United States.

Obama's post-Harvard career

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Obama returned to Chicago and settled in the Hyde Park neighbourhood with his wife, Michelle. He took up a position as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, where he taught constitutional law for twelve years, from 1992 to 2004. During this time, he also practised as a civil rights attorney at the law firm Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, where he was an associate from 1993 to 1996, and then of counsel from 1996 to 2004.

Obama's first foray into politics came in 1996, when he was elected to the Illinois Senate, representing the 13th District. He was re-elected in 1998 and again in 2002, and during his time in the state senate, he gained bipartisan support for legislation on ethics and healthcare reform. In 2000, he made an unsuccessful bid for Illinois's 1st congressional district in the US House of Representatives, losing to incumbent Bobby Rush.

In 2004, Obama ran for the US Senate and won with 70% of the vote, becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He served as a senator from 2005 to 2008, introducing initiatives such as the Lugar-Obama Act and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. During his time in the Senate, Obama gained national prominence, delivering the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and publishing his second book, "The Audacity of Hope", which became a national bestseller.

In 2008, Obama was nominated as the Democratic Party's candidate for president, selecting Joe Biden as his running mate. He defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, becoming the first African-American president in US history. Obama served two terms as president, from 2009 to 2017, and left office with high approval ratings.

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