I was at HLS during that time period. It is theoretically possible to get onto law review with poor 1L grades, but the write on is anonymous. Likewise, almost all the grading was anonymous, except in paper classes which didn’t happen until 2d and 3d year.
Once you get into 2d and 3d year, the grading curve is even easier.
The big question would be whether he graduated cum laude or magna cum laude. That should be publicly available on a list of law school graduates or in the HLS alumni directory. If he did not then he would have been a mostly B student. I didn’t know anyone who received a C or below ever in any class. It may have happened, and Prof. Areda was known for giving 3 F’s in antitrust every year, but it was pretty hard to get poor grades. My admin. law final was definitely sufficient to prove that.
It doesn’t matter what his grades were at HLS. Because the President of the HLR is a student elected position (i.e., popularity contest) Professors appointed the editors.
There has to be a listing of students in each class at HLS. There also has to be names listed of those in law review, as well as other 'clubs'. I can't imagine his name not appearing anywhere.
I have no info on college grades, and don't doubt they were weak. The LSATs were probably pretty strong to get in, even in competition with many other black applicants.
This reminds me of the John Kerry Purple Heart saga. If you can claim that the Navy gave out Purple Hearts like candy to one person then you could surmise that the Navy did it for many people. It cheapens the reward. I don't know if it is path we want to go down. I know a couple of HLS graduates, they are very intelligent hard working people.