Tuesday, July 13, 2010

ALBI MANZO: The makings of a good Lawyer?

 From a 2008 WALL STREET JOURNAL article about law schools, and how they, "game the system" http://www.lawschool.com/detergaming.htm,  I found a quote by our friend ALBIE MANZO.
The story explains how to get into law school, if you don't have the LSAT test scores, and/or GPA to qualify for admission.
What's being done, or was being done at the time that ALBIE gained admission, is/was to allow the "un-qualified" students entrance as part-time students. That way, a school can still maintain the appearance of  certain standards, and achieve industry important "rank", while letting people who do not measure-up to the law school's advertised admittance standards into the program.
I say, "is/was", because the article explains that this practice was/ or is in the process of being eliminated.
Below, is a quote from the article, I highlight the area where ALBIE is quoted as a student admitted in this, "gaming the system", way.
Keep in mind that this article refers to the law school, (Seton Hall), that we already know ALBIE was deleted-from because his GPA was considered too low by Seton Hall's standards.
(or, a law school that ALBIE was deleted-from because he has a disability, and when he asked for help he was given a phone number where no one answered his call, therefore he was discriminated against because of his disability, which is some kind-of a learning disorder where he ,(allegedly), has trouble comprehending what he has read).
Getting into law school is one thing, and passing the bar exam is another, so I have to agree with the side of academia because if they don't think you can pass the state exam, then the education is wasteful for everyone involved. But maybe ALBIE knows a way around that?
(from the article linked above)
"...
A number of other law schools across the country have similar approaches. At Seton Hall University, for example, Wyckoff, N.J., native Al Manzo is entering the part-time day program after graduating from college this past spring. He's taking one less class this semester than the full-timers, but will make it up next summer and join the full-time program. Seton Hall, ranked 66th, declined to say how many students were in its part-time day program. Loyola University Chicago and St. John's University, among others, include some similar students in their part-time day programs.

"If it wasn't for the part-time program, I wouldn't be going to the school," Mr. Manzo says. He adds, "The LSAT and GPA score isn't the most effective way to determine success in law school."..."

*(EDITED here to DELETE something that I mis-read in the article).-sorry.

Mr. MANZO undoubtedly has the full support and financial-backing of his loving family to help him achieve his goals.
A shocking moment in last night's episode of NJ HOUSEWIVES, was when ASHLEY made the statement, "I can do anything I want to do." Her parents wisely responded, along with everyone who was watching, "OH NO YOU CAN'T!".
Well, actually, yes ASHLEY, you CAN do anything you want to do, but there might just be some consequences. Especially legal ones when you physically attack someone.
In contrast, we are treated to the dilemma of ALBIE, who has been told, "No.", by "the system", or whoever it is that somewhere along the way in most people's lives, teaches us that sometimes, we CAN'T do "anything", that we want to do. And we see CAROLINE telling him that he has his family's full support in anything he wants to do, even-if he's already proven, and been told that he can't do it.
Alright, ALBIE is a good kid with a noble goal, what ASHLEY did was wrong. I get that. And its pretty hard to support the indefensible. I get that ASHLEY needed to be disciplined, by her family, and even be subjected to legal punishment. I cannot help but wonder if CAROLINE would ever tell her kids, "one more mistake and you're out."?
And, if the "nobody answered the phone", excuse is the excuse that ALBIE used with CAROLINE, why didn't we see him getting any flack about that from her? Not having common sense, is not a handicap or disability the last time that I checked. 
But, if I were an ASHLEY, and I needed good legal help, I might just want someone just like ALBIE.
If I were WALKING THE GREEN MILE, or facing hard time in prison,  I KNOW, that I'd want ALBIE MANZO as my lawyer.
Who wouldn't want the guy who doesn't let anything stop him? The lawyer who finds loopholes, and exceptions, and do-overs, and no-fingers-crossed-unless-you-call-it-first, and sends-in the paperwork that makes other people cower in their Bentley like DANIELLE waiting for someone to save them?
Like I mentioned in my re-quote© post about the episode,  I have to feel sorry for people who don't have the advantages that ALBIE has, and I'm not just talking about financial advantages. Maybe people even MORE qualified than ALBIE, who were forced to give-up their dreams.
But personally, it doesn't affect me either way. I can only thank-God that ALBIE'S handicap is not something like blindness, and his goal was not to be an airplane pilot.