Is a Harvard Law Graduate's Plausibility in the Workplace Remote?

The fictional scenario portrayed in the TV show Suits where a character claims to be from Harvard Law in a firm full of other Harvard Law graduates without being recognized, may seem highly improbable. However, with the high number of students and the vast alumni network, is it actually feasible?

Harvard's Large Graduate Population

Harvard admits around 700 new J.D. students and 100s of L.L.M., J.S.D., and non-degree students annually. Multiply this by the typical duration (usually 3 years for J.D.), and the number of possible personal acquaintances becomes enormous. Even if none of these classmates are in the same firm, the potential for unrecognized students is significant.

Verification Avenues

Law school yearbooks or alumni directories are often available, providing a way to confirm or refute any claims of having graduated from Harvard. Furthermore, the presence of these verification methods can significantly reduce the likelihood of such claims going unchallenged.

University Experience Comparison

Our own experiences in universities closely mirror the described scenario. For instance, in my chemistry department, over 200 students were first-year starters, with numbers decreasing in subsequent years due to dropouts or retakes. By the third year, the cohort was reduced significantly, with around 100 in my year. Despite these numbers, during my year three enrolment lecture, I recognized many people I didn't previously know, illustrating the vastness of university life.

Upon joining the workforce, we often forget many of our classmates unless we remained in close contact. Meeting someone who claims to have graduated from the same university as you may seem familiar, but in reality, it likely won't stir much suspicion. If such a person claimed to have graduated from your university while you were working, you would probably accept this claim without question, due to the sheer size and varying class schedules in large institutions.

Specific Conversations and Familiarity

The ability to convincingly pass as a graduate from a prestigious institution like Harvard Law can be enhanced through specific conversations. For instance, a relative who graduated from Duke Law and several law professionals I have known, combined with a deep understanding of legal intricacies like those illustrated in Suits, can create a passable graduate portrayal. A focused conversation with a former law student can be enough to remind me of specific stories and details, enhancing the plausibility of such a claim.

Moreover, with a large pool of students, it's not unusual for two individuals to have attended Harvard Law School but not known each other. The sheer size of the institution, coupled with varying class schedules and extracurricular activities, ensures that such exclusions of mutual knowledge are common.

Therefore, while the fictional episode of Suits might seem far-fetched, the logical and factual basis underlying it actually makes it a plausible occurrence in the real world, especially in firms with a high concentration of Harvard Law graduates.