Yes, Obama did graduate magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, which HLS says is for those whose grades are in the top 10% of the class.
Those in the top 10% after the first year are also selected for Harvard Law Review. Except for affirmative action recipients, who also make HLR.
Obama was selected for HLR, and after a long contentious meeting, was selected as President of the HLR.
Come graduation, if Obama wasn't in the top 10% of his class, he wouldn't have made magna. Having the HLR President not being magna would be awkward. My theory is that Obama was granted a social magna.
It is a lot easier to imagine that, than to imagine someone of Obama's lack of achievement prior to and after HLS making magna.
Thanks. A “social magna” is something I’ve never heard of.