【Episode 20 – Sometimes Being Polite and Forward Is Effective】
“Hello, Professor Mitchell. We are the team selected to represent the school in this year’s Immigration Law Moot Court Competition. If you have a moment….”
“This isn’t student visiting hours. Didn’t you know?”
Professor Mitchell removed the glasses he was wearing and looked at the four of us standing by the door. It was impossible to tell whether the furrow between his brows was to get a look at our faces or simply because he was annoyed.
“No, we know.”
“And you came anyway? Don’t you think that’s a rather rude thing to do when coming to ask someone for something?”
The question I’d expected.
“It’s true that we’ve come to ask you to be our team coach. However, we thought it best to arrange an appointment first, which is why we’ve come like this.”
“You came to arrange an appointment?”
“Yes.”
“All four of you?”
“Yes.”
The crease between his brows deepened. But his eyes also narrowed. A gesture to see our faces.
So, I approached the desk where the professor was sitting.
“Actually, we considered coming during office hours to arrange an appointment, but we thought that would be discourteous to the other students.”
“Why did you think that?”
“I believe office hours are a time for the first-year Commercial Law students you advise. I’m a first-year too, so I know well how precious office hours are. That’s why we deliberately came at this time. We asked around and heard you often step out around this time.”
“Did it not occur to you that you might be interrupting my time?”
“Of course it did. However, I thought arranging an appointment by email without meeting you face-to-face and greeting you first would be somewhat improper. But we desperately wanted to ask you. So we planned to visit you today first and arrange a meeting. If now is inconvenient, we’ll come back another time.”
I deliberately explained at greater length.
It was important to convey that we had put that much thought into coming.
And I behaved even more respectfully.
Enough that anyone watching might think, what are they going so far for, and find it exaggerated.
“In this day and age, students with such rare manners. No matter. Since all four of you have come anyway, I’ll hear you out now. You said you’ve come to ask me to be your Moot Court Competition coach?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm. I don’t usually accept such requests….”
“That’s why we wanted to meet you in person and explain to you directly the reason why you would be unable to refuse our request. Why you must coach our team.”
“Hmm… what’s your name, student?”
“I’m Jeheon. These are my teammates Donguk, Sein, and Michael.”
“Full marks for confidence. Very well. Shall we talk over a cup of tea?”
The furrow in Professor Mitchell’s brow had already vanished.
***
“Wow! I thought he was being so strict at first that he’d say no….”
“Heon, you speak really well in front of professors.”
“You said you couldn’t understand because the professor’s accent was so thick, yet you were answering everything left and right, hyung.”
“I guess when you’re nervous, you can hear after all. Ah, but what were those things you said at the end? That was Latin, right?”
As is the case with most specialized fields, legal professionals have their own terminology.
Latin phrases, to be precise.
bona fide: in good faith,
de facto: in fact,
ex officio: from the office,
ni bis in idem: not twice for the same,
mens rea: guilty mind, and so on. Numerous Latin terms are used not only in academics but also in practice.
I’d heard that Professor Mitchell uses many Latin phrases not only during class but also in ordinary conversation.
In fact, Latin can be seen as the classical idiom of the West. It doesn’t hinder daily life in the slightest if you don’t know it, but if you do, you seem learned….
I’d made a list and memorized them all before the meeting, which turned out to be helpful.
｢Even after hearing all our reasons why he should take on the coaching position, Professor Mitchell tilted his head.
And then, without much explanation,
“Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit.”
he had simply said.
The burden of proof is on the one who declares.
It meant that the burden of persuading him was on us, and therefore, that our persuasion had been insufficient.
It was a tricky situation. We’d already delivered our prepared pitch, so nothing more came to mind.
As we were looking at one another, wondering what to say, I
“In dubio pro discipulus.”
blurted out.
When in doubt, for the students.
Originally, the phrase is “In dubio pro reo,” meaning “when in doubt, for the accused,” but I’d changed reo, meaning accused, to discipulus, meaning student.
It meant, “Even if you’re not convinced, wouldn’t it be the right choice to do it for the students?”
At that, Professor Mitchell struck his knee with a thwack and
“Hahaha. Ingenious! Very ingenious! Did you say you’re first-years? It’s been a while since I’ve met a freshman with such solid fundamentals. Very well. I’ll take it on. But if you work with me, there will be no slacking. I’ll coach you more strictly than class, so you’d better prepare properly. Hahaha, In dubio pro discipulus… Truly an ingenious answer.”
He accepted our request.｣
“So basically, when the professor said ‘Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit’ to say our persuasion was insufficient, you said ‘In dubio pro discipulus,’ asking if it wouldn’t be right to accept for the students even if he wasn’t convinced, right? Right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Hey—you’re really amazing. I didn’t get it when I heard it in the professor’s room; I only understood after we left. How did you think of that on the spot? Did you already know it?”
“I heard he likes to use Latin, so I memorized some.”
“Wow.”
“Oh, man. You are such a geek. Honestly, I still don’t understand what any of it means.”
“This time I have to agree with Michael. I still don’t know what happened at the end. I thought we were watching a Harry Potter movie or something. Man, I almost said ‘Wingardium Leviosa.’”
“Huh? Hahaha.”
“Kekeke—”
“Hahahaha.”
It hadn’t been easy, but in the end, that’s how we succeeded in recruiting the most skilled professor in the school as our coach.
—*—
Buzz-
[Soojung: What are you doing?]
Buzz-
[Soojung: Busy?]
Buzz- Buzz-
[Soojung: You must be busy ㅠㅠ]
[Soojung: I was just wondering what you’re doing this weekend. What are you doing Saturday?]
[Soojung: Want to go see a Broadway show?]
[Soojung: Want to see Wicked? You said you wanted to.]
[Soojung: Or do you want to go see the new musical called The Book of Mormon? I heard it won Tony Awards last year. A school friend saw it and said it was really fun.]
[Soojung: Text me when you’re not busy.]
···
[Jeheon: I just saw this now; I was in a meeting with the professor.]
[Soojung: I see. Did it go well?]
[Jeheon: Yeah. It went well.]
[Soojung: Yay— Ah, I texted to ask what you’re doing this weekend.]
[Jeheon: Sorry, but I have to come to school on Saturday.]
[Soojung: ㅠㅠ Really? Don’t tell me it’s studying? Hey, Jeheon-je, it’s the beginning of the semester; what kind of studying on the weekend?]
[Jeheon: Work.]
[Soojung: Work? Ah, your research assistant job? Hing— do you have to stay late?]
[Jeheon: I’ll be there until evening.]
[Soojung: What, why are you so busy.]
[Soojung: Then what about at night? Surely you’re not working until night, right? What time do you finish? Then should we go see the night show after you finish?]
[Jeheon: No. I think I’ll be too tired.]
[Soojung: Really? Well, I guess so. You must be tired. Let’s see the show next time.]
[Soojung: Then shall we grab dinner together? I found a really nice restaurant and bar near your school. Let’s go there.]
···
[Soojung: ??]
[Jeheon: Sorry. There’s a freshman party Saturday evening, so I think I need to go there.]
[Soojung: Ah— seriously, what is it with law school having so much going on. Hing—]
[Soojung: Is it like a wine and cheese thing?]
[Jeheon: No. The students are hosting it.]
[Soojung: Then can I go too?]
[Jeheon: Huh?]
[Soojung: Can’t students from other schools go too?]
[Soojung: I saw a few kids from our school went to Columbia Law School’s freshman party last week.]
[Jeheon: Hmm… wouldn’t it be awkward, though? Most of the people there will be our law school students, after all.]
[Soojung: No. You’ll be there.]
[Jeheon: That’s true, but…]
[Soojung: Why, don’t you want me to?]
[Jeheon: It’s not that I don’t want you to, but it’s a school-related event, so I don’t think I’ll be able to pay attention to you separately.]
[Soojung: Don’t worry. I’ll have fun on my own. I’m surprisingly good at getting along with new people.]
[Soojung: Where’s the freshman party on Saturday?]
What Happened at the Freshman Party (1)
“Michael.”
“Hey, man. What’s up.”
“Where’s the freshman party that Clemens is hosting?”
“You’re going? You said you’d be busy Saturday because of your research assistant job.”
“I think I have to go anyway.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? ‘Have to go.’ Why, did a professor command you, ‘Heon, you mustn’t just study; you simply must go to the party’?”
“Cut the nonsense. Just tell me where it is.”
“Six o’clock at the Rabit Hall in Greenwich Village. It starts at six, but there will probably be kids drinking from four.”
“Do I need a ticket?”
“No, they somehow managed to get sponsors.”
“Okay.”
“You’re really coming?”
“Yeah. I’ll stop by for a bit.”
“Oho—great. I should tell Sein. You weren’t coming, and Donguk hyung said he wasn’t coming either, so Sein said he wouldn’t come too.”
“I’m only staying a bit.”
“Donguk hyung is coming.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yeah, he said he’s coming with his wife.”
I didn’t know it then.
That I would end up staying out all night.