Trump Lawyer Habba’s Law School: “Alina… Who?”

Ordinarily a small, obscure law school would be thrilled to have a graduate making national news day after day. To generate donations from alumni. To attract more and better applicants as well as faculty to improve their rating amongst other law schools. That kind of thing. Ordinarily. Alas, there is nothing ordinary when it comes to Trump/MAGA World the the celebrities it creates. When you factor in the “Everything Trump touches dies” phenomena it’s no wonder that his lawyer currently in the spotlight is afraid the Trump Cooties that have infected her will somehow infect the institution from which she obtained her law degree!

So, a Raw Story reports Widener University Commonwealth Law School is anything BUT eager to “trumpet one of its most notable alumni.” Oh my. Could it be they are a wee bit embarrassed over her day after day making a fool of herself both on TV and worse in actual court lawyering for Donald Trump?  As Raw Story notes, Habba who is a 2010 graduate has been all over TV and social media. However they go on to say:

But Widener Commonwealth — a little-known private institution in Harrisburg, Pa., ranked in the bottom 20 percent of law schools by U.S. News & World Report — has been all but silent.

Raw Story says they contacted Deans, Professors and alumni of Widener trying to get their impressions of Habba. It seems they had virtually nothing to say. Maybe they all had a Granny like I did who almost all the time counseled “if you don’t have anything good to say about someone don’t say anything at all.” I should note those (extremely) rare times Granny was critical he sharpest criticism was “I’d like to buy them for what they are worth and sell them for what they think they’re worth.” I’ve often thought and even sometimes written that of Trump. I’d be a helluva lot richer than he’s ever even claimed to be! Right now I’d gladly settle for that phrase becoming reality for me with Habba. I could live out my life in luxury, and even give a hefty “angel grant” to PZ that would keep it solvent and with money to pay an awesome team of writers forever!

Anyway since folks who knew her back in the day were reticent Raw Story decided to do some looking into records, at least public stuff from Widener to see if there was anything Habba did there that was noteworthy other than graduate – from a law school that ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. (According to U.S. News & World Report) So what DID Raw Story actually find?

There’s also no mention of Habba on the “alumni spotlight” of Widener Commonwealth’s website, and she has not been the subject of any stories in the “alumni news” section.

The only appearance of Habba at all comes on page 35 of Volume 17, Number 2 of the Widener University School of Law Magazine, published in 2010.

The bottom of page 35 of the Widener University School of Law Magazine from Fall 2010 contains the only mention of Alina Habba on the Widener University Commonwealth Law School’s website. Source: Widener University School of Law Magazine

There, Habba — student co-chair of the Class of 2010 gift committee — is pictured holding a basketball, part of “sports equipment and a shed to house it” that her class donated to the school.

That’s it. I’d include the picture that was referenced above but I’m something of a rube when it comes to tech stuff and haven’t learned how to embed a picture into an article. If you want to see it you’ll have to click on the link to the Raw Story article.

I should also note that when Habba graduated the Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) and the then parent Delaware site operated under the same umbrella. In 2015 two sites split into separately accredited schools but still operate under the same umbrella. Here’s the fun part. One person did return Raw Story’s email and offered a comment or two:

Todd J. Clark, dean of Widener University Delaware Law School, did respond to a Raw Story email but emphasized that Habba graduated from Commonwealth, not Delaware. (The schools had not yet separated when Habba attended.)

Clark noted his school’s many first-generation students and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. He praised the “highly accomplished faculty” and the school’s “internationally renowned” Dignity Rights Institute/Clinic.

“As far as my students and alumni are concerned, I am confident they can compete with anyone in the country,” Clark wrote, “and that my faculty are the most engaged and committed in the legal academy!”

Raw Story dryly notes “Habba is probably not helping reinforce those points.” What I found both interesting and amusing (in case you missed it) is that Dean Clark specifically pointed out that Habba attended the Harrisburg campus! Yeah, I’d say he and the whole Widener community is embarrassed right now.

Anyway I found it amusing early this afternoon when I first read the article. Since no one else has brought it up I figured I’d do so. Call me mean spirited (sometimes I am) but I find it funny as hell that an obscure law school that’s probably struggling has a graduate that suddenly becomes nationally known. And wishes it was as obscure as it was before anyone but them and precious few others knew the name Alina Habba. It’s easy to imagine them poking pins into voodoo dolls of her, seeking out “witches” to cast spells and so on so she suddenly fades away and more importantly that journalists stop silly stuff like checking out where she got her law degree!