As I understand the sequence of events Obama was the first President of the HLR. That post was created for him because there was some “problem” (dissent) with regard to his nomination as Editor. Anyone who has the full story... please advise...
According the Harvard Law Review website, the position of president dates back to its 1902 charter. The HLR has named over 120 presidents, so the story about Obama being the first must be incorrect.