This article from the New York Times, published in February 1990, gives a little insight as to Obama’s time as president of the Harvard Law Review. According to this article, Richard Nixon was also president of the Review. Prior to the 1980s, the president was selected from the Review members with the highest GPA. But that was changed and the members elected their president. Interesting read, because it doesn’t sound like they are exactly giving Obama a ringing endorsement as president.
“According to this article, Richard Nixon was also president of the Review.”
I think you misread this:
Irwin Griswold, a dean of the Harvard Law School and Solicitor General under Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon.
The reference was to Griswold’s serving under Nixon. Nixon went to Duke Law School, not that any of its professors are particularly eager to publicize that fact.
But there was one other interesting quote in that article:
“Law reviews, which are edited by students, play a double role at law schools, providing a chance for students to improve their legal research and writing”
It’s pretty obvious from his behavior that Obama did NOT take this opportunity to improve his legal research or writing. An ambitious HLR president with even a modicum of work ethic might well have taken the same opportunity to actually chip in and help out and/or accomplish some other initiatives related to HLR (e.g., raise funds to endow its operations etc.). Obama’s about collecting trophies. Being HLR president was a means to and end—no more, no less.