With that said, if she actually wrote the email posted, it sounds like she was going through some serious depression before resorting to prostitution. I mean who knows how true the story is, but honestly I think she should be evaluated by a therapist before any decisions regarding her status as a law student are made.

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Do you want to disbar Barack Obama because he admitted he used coke and pot? Do you know how many attorneys drive at unsafe speeds, use drugs, or otherwise break the law?

I also wouldn't compare private call-girl activities to selling crack.

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My understanding is that Obama experimented with drugs in college, came to regret it, and had left that behind by the time he was in law school and moving in the direction of public service. If he had continued to take drugs-- thereby flouting the law he had sworn to enforce and endangered the welfare of his clients by clouding his judgment with drugs, then yes. I absolutely would have wanted him disbarred. Would *you* want a crack or heroin addict representing you?

My father is a public defender and his best friend is a prosecutor. So I know many, many members of the legal profession who operate from both sides of the courtroom. The vast majority of them take their profession seriously, respect the law, and feel a sense of mission about their work. I've noticed quite a bit of cynicism re. lawyers and the legal system on this thread. I don't share in that point of view. A few sleazeballs shouldn't be used to deride an entire profession.

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However, I htink the majority of posters here are more concerned with the fact that she is not being assisted by the police because she is a woman and was prostituing herself (literally). It's a womens' issues site, after all, so of course we will be dumbfounded, appalled and angered that law enforcement has done little to protect her and has in fact mocked her.

There are several stories in her experience.

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And then I want to vomit. Like, your story is probably common and I feel lucky? What a lovely world.

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From the full email she sent to us (of, course, it was sent from a different email address to keep her identity quiet, so the is no telling if it was really her) she couldn't get the loan money she needed because of credit. I don't know if thats true or not, but I do know that I my loan assistance was nearly three months late because of the "institutional crisis". Luckily my dad was able to deposit $1,200 a month in my bank account to cover my rent and incidentals.

If any good comes out of this, I hope it will be to create dialogue about the way sex workers are treated in the legal system as well as the enormity of the financial commitment that higher education requires. I agree that it was a poor decision on her part, but the costs of an education - and the lack of institutional support to offset that cost - is ridiculous.

sorry if this is incoherent - im in the middle of a 48 hour exam :)

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However, you could argue that she was not his student. He's in Eastern Studies. And they didn't meet in the classroom, but off campus. The words, "are you a student?" might never have been uttered. I'm not in any way condoning the alleged actions by either of them. But I don't think the code would have prevented this.

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It seems that if anywhere is a good place to have that dialogue, your law school would be it. I went to Vandy, and I guarantee you the vast majority of my wealthy, entitled male classmates would be raking this woman over the coals for being Slutty McHookerson. They would probably also be offering to pay her tuition if she'd only service them, as well.

Good luck with your exams! I do not envy you, but I can empathize!

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If I was teaching Econ 101 and wanted to date an architecture grad student, I could. But not an Econ student.

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