EDMUND BURKEI was a newly minted lawyer. The Philadelphia law firm for which I worked purchased a table at a dinner honoring one of the firm’s clients. A partner stopped by my office to ask whether I’d like one of the seats at the table. It was a rhetorical question; attending the event was a command performance.
Our client was being fêted for his philanthropic support of a Jewish parochial school. Funds raised from the dinner benefited the school. There were, of course, speeches praising the honoree – and a keynote address by Senator Joe Biden. Even though he was the junior Senator from the small State of Delaware, there was intense interest in Joe Biden. He was the youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate. Everyone also knew about the tragedy that had befallen his family.
Joe Biden gave a talk about the value of a parochial school education. I was, frankly, a hard sell on that topic, yet Biden’s talk surprised me. He talked about educational rigor and the importance of instilling values. He was himself the product of Catholic parochial schools, and he blended personal stories with empirical data. I was impressed. But this story isn’t about Joe Biden’s speech.
In traditional fashion, at the end of the event the dignitaries – Biden, the honoree, the school’s principal, the chair of its board of trustees, and one or two others – formed a line to shake hands with everyone on their way out. Because of where my table was located, I wound up near the head of the line of people exiting. When I shook Joe Biden’s hand, I introduced myself and said, “Senator, it’s an honor to meet the best educated member of the United States Senate.” He gave me a quizzical look. I then added: “I may be biased because I also went to law school at Syracuse.”
“Did you really, Carl?” asked Biden. “Did you take courses from Professor X? What about Professor Y? Have you been back recently?” I explained I had only recently graduated. Suddenly, Biden gripped my shoulder and said: “Don’t go anywhere. Stay right here.” Maintaining so firm a grip on my shoulder that, in fact, I could not go anywhere, he maneuvered me next to him by asking the person standing next to him to move down a bit, creating a domino effect that extended the line of dignitaries. Senator Biden then proceeded to introduce me to every person leaving the dinner. “Do you know Carl?” he asked each person after he had finished greeting them. “Carl and I went to the same law school.” If memory serves, by the end of the line his introduction may have morphed into something closer to, “Carl and I went to law school together.”
It is a simple story, but simple stories are the often the most telling. There I was, just starting out in the practice of law, and in an impulsive act of thoughtfulness and generosity Joe Biden decided to introduce me to an entire line of potential clients.
(I was inspired to tell this story by Linda Greenhouse’s recent New York Times column with the same title.)