Original subtitles

The group isn't important enough for you to arrive on time with your work. I

think you ought to be kicked out.

Well, I think that's pretty rough.

So is law school.

How did you do it? How did you get the best grades, write the best papers?

Work.

Every damn day.

Every damn day.

Work.

And play.

You want me to give my answer to the whole class?

This is your opportunity.

You're in court.

I'm your judge.

They are your jury.

The study of law is something new and unfamiliar to most of you.

Unlike any other schooling that you have ever known before.

First years are hard years.

Much more than we know.

With good friends to love us.

We'll feel every blow.

Stay open to all things unknown and new.

And one day we'll all say, hey, look, we've come through.

Hey, look, we've come through.

And one day we'll all say, hey, look, we've come through

the first year.

You teach yourselves the law, but I train your minds.

You come in here with a skull full of mush, and if you survive,

you leave thinking like a lawyer.

Mom and Dad, I got your letter yesterday.

Sorry I haven't written sooner. It's been six weeks and it seems like six

years.

All I do is work.

There's no time for writing or anything else.

Six in the morning and I've been up and dressed for an hour studying.

The screamer just screamed.

Boy, you should hear him. He does it every morning about this time. Nobody

knows who it is.

Some say it's the students in Kingsfield's class who committed suicide

years ago.

We formed a study group here.

We're supposed to help each other and to divide up the work.

They're all very intelligent and very competitive.

And the pressure is beginning to have an effect on us all.

We have a girl in the study group.

She's terrific.

She wants to save the world.

But she wants to do it all in one day.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a blow-up pretty soon.

Sorry, this letter is so disjointed, but even as I write I'm reading with the

other eye Often I walk the path to class without even knowing where I am.

How are your eggs?

These aren't eggs, they're torts.

Who got your outline?

Martin, who got your outline?

How about getting it?

No time.

Okay, everybody.

Alvines? Here's mine.

Logan, where's constitutional law? It's being typed and duplicated.

It'll be here at noon.

And mine's almost ready.

Is it?

I said it's almost ready, Ashley.

Okay.

Let's meet at noon.

Elizabeth, dear, yours is very critical.

We all need it for the exam the day after tomorrow.

If I say noon, I mean noon.

And if yours doesn't measure up for it, you won't get to read well and properly.

Because this outline is better than anything even the professors here

produced.

Look at that.

Almost a hundred pages, and I'm still on the introduction.

You're cracking, Bell.

Do you want some exercise right now, Ford? No, Bell, sit down. We are too

tired for this.

Oh, Bell.

Don't touch it. Bell,

it was an accident.

Come on, guys.

Drop that outline, Ford.

It's been a pleasure.

Oh, you guys grow up.

Come on, we're going to be late. We'll reconvene at noon.

Horace.

Horace. What an irresponsible group.

What a mess.

Come on, we're going to be late.

Oh, no!

Thank you, Mr. Anderson.

So, we are back to the basic issue of the principle of restitution.

One man has unjustly enriched himself at the expense of another.

Shall we restore the injured party to his prior position?

Forcing the wrongdoer to disgorge his ill-gotten spoils And now

to introduce the subject of specific performance

Case of Vitelli versus Portland

productions

Oh.

The issue there was...

Mr. Ford.

In Vitelli vs. Portland Productions, the defendant promised to walk a tightrope

across the gorge. The plaintiff spent a large sum setting up the tightrope.

and sold hundreds of tickets to the event, the proceeds of which were to

benefit charity.

When the defendant refused to perform, the plaintiff sued for the specific

performance, asking the court to force the defendant to walk the rope.

Thank you.

We shall resume class tomorrow with a detailed exploration of the great

principle of specific performance.

Now here, gentlemen and ladies,

We take the lives of others directly into our hands.

You have promised to perform, you shall perform.

You have promised to walk that tightrope, you shall walk it.

And without a net.

Specific performance of all the great principles of contract law.

Specific performance is the most difficult and the most dangerous to

apply.

Dr. Kingfield, sir?

Yes, what is it? Professor, was the Vitelli case ever appealed? I don't

think specific performance should have been granted in this case. There are

times when you don't have to carry through with your promise and when...

Mr... Hart.

Mr. Hart, why didn't you tell me whether the Vitelli case was ever appealed?

I don't know.

I mean, you wrote the casebook. I don't know what happened.

If you don't know, it's because you haven't bothered to go to the library

and find out.

Before students come to me with questions, I expect them to fully

research every aspect of the subject involved.

I expect them to enlighten me.

Perhaps your problem, Mr. Hart, is that you haven't done enough work.

Oh, sir, I'm working all the time.

There are five other classes, and there isn't time to research every issue.

I've really been trying to understand this stuff, and contract law is my

favorite. If you're having trouble keeping up, Mr. Hart, I have disturbing

news for you.

The work becomes not less, but more demanding after you're a lawyer.

So get organized.

Go to the library, research the question you asked me about, and present me with

a report in my office tomorrow morning at 9.

Why? Tomorrow morning at 9.

I expect you to enlighten me.

But...

What do you say we do a quick mile?

It was both some good.

I'll see you

later.

Here's a buck for cough drops.

Have you been here all this time?

What? You didn't move from that seat?

Ford, you understand my outline. It's gone.

Bill on property. Stolen.

Another study group.

Bill, will you please calm down?

Not until I find my outline.

You gotta help me.

Maybe you left it somewhere.

At breakfast.

Or in class.

Oh, I didn't. It was here.

Shh.

Oh, have you seen my outline?

My property outline?

No, I know her.

Shh. Have you seen my outline?

No, I haven't.

Quiet.

It's gone.

It's gone.

Shh.

I'm as calm as I can be.

Will you shut up?

Quiet, Val. You'll have to leave. This is a library. We have rules. Get lost.

We know it's a library.

Hey, have you seen my property outline? I'm trying to come down. Can you get

your things?

I'm not going to come down.

There's been a burglary. Now that's a felony. Would you get your things?

I don't believe this.

Sorry, but we're both barred from the library until further notice.

Some library. Some library.

You're the perfect model of a prison library.

Now you're out of your mind.

Lay off, will you?

You got us kicked out of the library.

Have you any idea how serious that is? Harvey, you've got to help me.

Maybe I did leave my outline in the dining hall. Forget your outline, Bell.

Try to find your brains.

You don't understand what you've done to me.

I've got to get special research ready for Kingfield by nine tomorrow. Now I

can't get back in there, Bell.

You'll have to lend me your bike.

I've got to go to the public library before I work the lunch shift. I need my

bike to round up guys to help me find my outline. This is an emergency.

Bell, I'll owe you.

Put a notice on the bulletin board. I'll help you when I can. Right now, I've got

too much to do.

Hart, you're crazy. You won't get that done by 9 in the morning.

Did you see that? Does he hurt?

Excuse me.

Here, let me help.

Ow.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Are you all right?

Well enough to sue you. Don't you ever watch where you're going?

Why, you rode right out in front of me. What?

Let me get... Never mind. Let me take you to the infirmary.

I don't have time to go to the infirmary.

But don't worry.

I will get around to suing you as soon as I make time.

We've got a study group meeting here. Um, how about that?

Great. Do you know James Hart, who works here? Sure.

He's not here yet. Usually very reliable.

Hello,

Anderson.

How you doing? Hi.

What's going on?

Nothing.

Seen Hart? No, but Logan's here.

What did it say, Bell?

I'm sick.

The report told me your outline's missing.

You guys have to help me find it.

Bell, how could you be so careless?

Okay, everybody, here's mine.

Lord, where's yours?

Logan?

My typist has spastic colitis.

It'll be ready in a couple hours.

This is not the way this group's supposed to be functioning. I planned my

whole day around this meeting.

Don't you talk to me like that.

I apologize for my typist and her spastic colitis.

If the group isn't important enough for you to arrive on time with your work, I

think you ought to be kicked out.

Well, I think that's pretty rough.

So is law school.

Okay.

Okay.

Just try again later.

But if things don't prove,

you can count me out.

You know, you were right about needing exercise.

So right.

Hold it, heart.

It's getting late. I've been here long enough. I still haven't seen a doctor.

I've got to get that work for Kingsfield done. I've got to try to get back into

the library.

Get back on the table. Now, if you want to fill your skull with Kingsfield's

mush, fine.

But first, let's see how much skull you've got left.

You're a law student, aren't you?

Uh-huh.

Then you've got to understand the pressure. I've been up practically all

night. I just got kicked out of the library.

Now I've been run over. I'm exhausted.

And every minute I stay here, I fall more and more behind.

Hart, lie down on the table.

If I lie down on the table, I won't get up. Will you please do as I say?

What's your name?

Leanne.

Leanne.

I can't.

I've got to work.

So you've said.

Now you just lie down on the table, and I'll see if I can hurry the doctor.

I pass out. You'll have to wake me up.

Blood from lemonade? Oh, I'd love some.

You look tired.

Oh, I am.

Hey, you're in my property class, aren't you?

Yeah, I think so. My name's Bill.

My property outline's missing. It's big, almost 100 pages. I was just wondering

if you'd seen it. I wouldn't look at a 100-page outline for anything.

You're really a lawyer?

Well, I'm not a lawyer yet.

I've only been in law school for three months.

Well, maybe you do.

Do our parents have a right to shut us up in this exclusive dungeon?

We all want to go to regular school with boys.

No uniforms.

Yeah, Miss Hammond's is so exclusive.

We never get to see anyone.

Bed checks at 10 every night.

Well, it does sound a little old-fashioned. But the trouble is,

you're underage.

And since Miss Hammond's school has a good reputation, under this system, your

parents have a perfect legal right to make you stay here.

Is that the best you can do? I mean, we want to get out of here.

What if we were your clients? I wish you were my clients.

Well, what would you do?

Well, legally, I don't really think there's much chance.

And the only way to get people to pay attention to you is to make trouble.

I can only think of one thing, and this isn't advice, it's just an analogy.

You'd have to do something bad enough to get yourselves expelled, but not bad

enough to get thrown into juvenile hall.

Brilliant.

That's great.

Well, you should feel better now.

Worse.

You let me fall asleep.

Took four hours out of my day. It's already too late to do a good job for

Kingsfield. You needed sleep, Hart.

I came back twice and you were dead to the world.

Now, you've got plenty of time before the library closes. Please believe me,

it's just not that serious.

Maybe Kingsfield would understand.

After all, I was run over.

Maybe he'd let me do the research tomorrow.

Why don't you ask it?

Professor Kingsfield, sir? Yes?

Professor, I was kicked out of the library this morning, and then I was run

over by a car.

I'd like to supply you with an answer to the question, but... What is the matter

with you, mister?

Hart, sir, I'm in your contracts class.

I asked you a question after class this morning, and you... Is there any special

reason, Mr. Hart, where you feel compelled to deliver a complete account

of your day's activities?

I'd like to get to my car.

Sir, I just wonder if I could have a little more time to answer the question,

if that would be all right.

It's not my question. It is your question.

Excuse me?

You don't understand.

It's not a normal day.

It's not a good day, Mr.

Hart.

Sir, I just want enough time to do a good job. Can't you give me more time?

Another day?

I want you to know that I try. I don't want you to be disappointed in me or

think that... I think nothing, Mr. Hart. I think nothing at all about you.

Whether you appear in my office tomorrow morning or not is entirely your own

affair.

I think you better have a drink.

I think I need one.

Hi.

How's everything at the office?

Good. Yeah, I'll be in a little later. Listen, are there any bodies around?

Great.

Get me Perkins.

Yes, a quick job. I want 20 pages.

The issue is specific performance, the effect of the Vitelli case.

You remember it?

Okay, shepherdize it. Catch all the out-of-state decisions.

Write a memorandum with all the sites and footnotes, and I want it by 11.30.

Yes, 11.30 tonight.

Good, thanks.

Well, I see you didn't make me one.

Am I dreaming?

I don't know, Hart. Are you dreaming?

I think you just called some office and told them to research a Vitale case.

It's a question I asked Kingsfield.

But you're a law student.

So I must be dreaming.

I've been run over by the president of Law Review.

You're right, Hart.

President of Law Review. God!

Tell me, honestly, how did you do it? How did you get the best grades, write

the best papers?

How did you stay organized and not crack up? How? What's the answer?

Work, Hart.

Work.

Every damn day.

Every damn day.

I've been here for two hours.

I searched everywhere.

No bell on property.

Even a treasure room. Shh.

I saw you and Hart get kicked out, so no noise.

No noise.

But I need help. I may have to check 16 study groups.

I can't, Bell. I am swamped.

Look, Ford, if you'll help me, I'll do anything.

Anything? Where are they, George?

We lost Hart.

We lost Brooks.

Now Bell.

First of all, no Logan.

Logan being missing does worry me.

Worries me too.

I was here 20 minutes before you got here.

I spent 11 dimes trying to find her. No one's seen her.

She hasn't been to pick up her outline for her spastic colitis typist.

Please, just does it for me.

I'm finished with your study.

I am sure everybody has a perfectly good reason for missing this meeting. Now

take Bell for example. Let's not take Bell. Let's not take anybody for that

matter. Listen, boy, good luck, buddy. You're gonna need it. Now, Anderson,

will you wait a minute?

All right, you've got a point.

But one more try, okay?

Listen, Floyd, if you're that interested in keeping this group you invented

together, then prove it. Find Logan and the rest of them.

Schedule a meeting tonight at 12 when the library's closed.

No one has an excuse not to attend.

Maybe I'll show up.

What is the charge? What do we got to cover this? I'll tell you what covers

this. The Fifth Amendment, due process. The Sixth Amendment, the right to be

informed if the charge is against you. And the Fourteenth Amendment, equal

protection of the law. And besides that, I didn't do anything.

You certainly did do something.

You talked to three innocent girls and the next thing there was a minor riot at

Miss Hammond's school with girls screaming they wanted to go home.

One even tried to set fire to the trash pile.

Well, it's not my fault if institutions like Ms. Hammond's exist or if the

people in them get angry.

Haven't you ever heard of the 13th Amendment?

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United

States.

Fred, do the honors, will you?

No, no, look, you're not understanding me. I'm a law student. I'm telling you

what the law is.

Well, are you or are you not going to obey the Constitution?

Haven't you ever read Cardozo and Snyder versus Massachusetts? I can sue you for

this. And now I'm going to miss class.

And so are the girls at Ms. Hammond.

It kills you.

Because you give up sleeping.

You give up taking showers, smelling good.

Dressing neatly.

Being kind.

There still isn't enough time to do the work.

The days all look the same.

It's like there's a fog in front of your eyes.

Kingfield standing at his podium telling me I have to be prepared for every

class. Have to be prepared. There's no excuse.

And you believe him?

Oh, what if I were a real lawyer? I've got to go to court, I'm afraid.

Hart, you're taking law school too seriously.

You didn't take it seriously?

President of Law Review, you didn't care?

Well, it was different for me.

It was?

Why?

It was different for me because I didn't need help.

I've never needed help.

But that's just me.

It's the way I am.

You see, I'm not a nice guy like you are.

I don't need help.

11.30.

Ciao.

Good night, Maeve.

The answer to your Kingsfield question.

Personal service from Law Review.

Believe me, we don't do this for everyone.

Just the ones you ran over?

I wouldn't give him the paper, Hart, just the answers.

Thanks.

I can't.

You can't what?

Give him either the paper or the answers.

Well, what are you talking about? Why not?

Listen, all Kingsfield cares about is whether you understand the material.

I mean, this isn't cheating. You're not taking an exam, you know.

Now, have your night off. Get some rest. Don't you understand?

Well, I guess I don't.

I guess I'm just one of those first-year students who's got to do the work.

I don't get it.

Besides, I'd rather plunk on my own. It's better that way.

Hart, you won't make it.

Lawyers have to be tough. This isn't high school, you know. This is the big

leagues. Yeah, but I better do the work myself.

After all the trouble I put people through to get this for you.

But I didn't ask you.

But you didn't refuse when you heard me on the phone.

Well, it all seems so unreal.

Arch, you're impossible.

You're dumb. You've got an undergraduate mind. Now grow up.

Now I've antagonized the president of law review.

You certainly have.

I'm sorry.

I guess I never should have let you run me over.

Where are you going?

To the law library. Where else?

But it's almost midnight. You'll never make it.

Oh, no.

Nice going, Hart.

You want to work all night till you're a wreck in the morning, but they've closed

the library on you.

Too bad.

Came here to rub it in?

Guess I deserve that for being ungrateful.

Dumb.

Okay, dumb.

What's the matter with you, Hart? Do you hear voices?

You want to save the world? Is that your problem?

You can't even meet Kingsfield standards, but you can't stop trying,

can you?

So what are you going to do now? Give up?

You met Kingsfield standards.

Damn it, so can I.

Maybe.

First, you've got to get into the library.

Law review never sleeps hard.

See what may be in store for you if you get the grades? Three years without

sleep.

So, to help Law Review, its president is provided with a personal key to the

library.

Are you sure you want to go in? You don't have much time.

I'm going to show you the law, Hart, if that's what you want, and give you a

head start.

See these?

The state reporters.

You'll need them.

And the restatement of contracts in all its multi-volume splendor.

And may I suggest Kingsfield on contract law, the source of all modern contract

law theory. Not that you'll have time to read all 18 volumes in one night.

Maybe I can skim.

It was nice being here in the middle of the night,

alone with all this greatness.

Thanks for running me over.

Anytime.

What's the matter? Cold?

No. I want my telephone call. I'm allowed one telephone call.

In the middle of the night?

Yes.

Professor Kingsfield?

Huh? I'm in jail.

I've been charged with a felony, sir. My life as a lawyer is slipping away.

Oh, sir, I know.

I know it's late, but all I did was to talk to three girls from Miss Hammond's

school. I had nothing...

Are you mad?

Professor Kingsfield, it's me, Elizabeth Logan. I sit in seat

41. Oh, Professor, I need someone with a lot of power.

I need help. I'm in trouble. Please.

Miss Logan, whatever your seat is, never telephone to me.

Never come to me with a personal problem.

Never... I'm in a...

Enjoy yourself.

Ford, open the door.

Ford, open the door, please.

I'm dressing, Bell.

You do it.

Okay, here's your laundry. Now, where's my outline?

I said you'd get your outline when the time comes. The time comes? I get up at

5.30 this morning just to do your lousy laundry for it. You promised. Oh, Bell,

control yourself. Go to the dining room, get us a nice table, and we'll talk

about it.

Bell.

Well?

Your group is a bunch of morons.

Disorganized, inconsiderate, selfish, and egomaniacal. Not me.

You're quitting.

You have quit.

I sat last night waiting. I sat this morning waiting.

Why? Because in my own way, I'm equally deranged.

I organized five group meetings, none of which take place.

I ask you, is that normal?

Pass the sugar.

Bell.

Are you trying to say we're all crazy? That maybe you like the study group?

I wouldn't go that far.

I did miss them, as far as liking them. Now, look, Ford, you promised to get my

outline back. Now, how much longer am I gonna have to wait?

Ask the cashier.

Cashier.

My name is Willis Beller. There's supposed to be a package here for me.

Oh.

You stole it, didn't you?

Well, I'm sorry.

Sorry? How could you do a thing like that to me? Well, it started

accidentally in the library.

I was sore at you, and I took your outline.

I'm sorry.

You mean to tell me you put me through all that agony for a joke, Ford?

Bell, I apologize.

I shouldn't have done it. It wasn't funny. I wouldn't blame you if you felt

like beating me up. Good, because that's what I feel like doing right now.

Don't you realize that this outline is practically my whole life's work?

Bell, forget it.

You have it back.

Maybe yesterday was just a bad day.

Why don't you forget yesterday?

Maybe we should all forget yesterday.

Huh?

Thank you.

It's Ms. Logan, correct?

Your Honor, I have thought about this long and hard in my cold cell.

Now, all I did was to point out the fact that since the young women in question

were under 18 and did not have their parents' consent, that they couldn't

leave school.

And their only option was to be expelled. I had no idea what would

happen. Miss Logan. But I have certain constitutional rights.

Miss Logan, shut up. The 1st, the 5th, and the 14th Amendment.

Take the handcuffs off her and get her out of here. Yes, sir.

What? You're free to go.

Unless you keep talking.

You don't understand.

I had this appointment with Professor Kingsfield.

Professor Kingsfield is not in his office.

You may have an appointment the end of next week.

You can't do this to me.

Professor Kingsfield asked for this.

Would you like me to call campus security?

Campus security?

I'm a student here.

Doesn't Professor Kingsfield keep his promises?

Doesn't he honor his contract? He had a contract with me.

Professor Kingsfield is a very busy man, Mr. Hart.

He has appointments throughout the day. You are just one student.

Okay.

Okay.

He doesn't keep his promises.

At least it's good to know he doesn't care.

It's good to know his real feeling about contract law around here.

Not him?

Would you but him.

He'll tell you I have an appointment. Tell him I'm here.

I have a Mr. Hart here to see you, Professor.

Dispatch him.

You're dispatched, Mr. Hart.

In plain words, you can understand.

That means out.

Any messages, Mrs. Nottingham?

Justice Blakely called and the chairman of the Securities and Exchange

Commission. Inform them that I shall return their calls right after class at

11.15.

Perhaps I should cancel your class for the day, Professor.

I never cancel class.

But you always prepare for an hour, and class is in two minutes.

I appreciate your concern, Mrs. Nottingham.

But I have no intention of preparing for class this morning, and none of

cancelling it.

Today we have a very special treat.

Mr. Hart has generously done some additional research and has prepared a

presentation on a subject that is of very considerable interest to us all.

I shall permit you to question him when he is done.

Mr. Hart.

your presentation.

But sir, I've got 15 pages. It might take all class, period.

We expect you to fill this room with your intelligence.

They're waiting, Mr. Hart.

You want me to give my answer to the whole class?

They are eager to hear you, Mr. Hart.

and no less eager to slice you into ribbons when you are done.

I can't slice my arguments to ribbons.

I know the answers.

Prove it.

This is your opportunity.

You're in court.

I'm your judge.

They are your jury.

Specific performance.

When will the court force you to perform what you have promised to?

You have promised to walk a tightrope across a dangerous gorge. But do you

have to walk it?

Sometimes. But sometimes not.

Consider the case of Vitelli v. Portland Productions.

On appeal, the court ruled that Vitelli had refused to walk the tightrope in

order to force the plaintiff to pay more than had been originally agreed to. By

waiting until the last minute, Vitelli was in effect... trying to blackmail the

plaintiff. This, combined with the fact that tightrope walking is a unique skill

so that the plaintiff could not find a suitable replacement, led the court to

determine that Vitelli had to walk his tightrope as contracted without a net.

I'm sorry, but I've been carrying this letter around for two days.

Found it in one of my books.

If I tell you everything that has happened in the last 30 hours, you're

going to think I'm living in a nightmare.

Some of it very good.

I was right about the blow-up, but everything's calmed down now.

Sorry I've got to run.

I will write you more later.

Love, Jim.

P.S.

Professor Kingsfield is a terrible man, but a great teacher.

There have been times when I thought I'd never make it in this class.

But after what happened today, I think I'm going to be all right.

The first years are hard years, much more than we know.

With good friends to love us, we'll feel every blow.

Stay open to all things, and one day we'll all say,

hey look, we've come through the first year.