CAMPUS TOUR OF SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF LAW
Let's start with Thomas Courthouse.
That's the building with the four big white columns on the other side of the fountain. It was named for Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was born in Pin Point, Georgia. That's a small community south of Savannah—not much bigger than one of our squares. He moved to Savannah when he was a child, and in high school, he was the only black student in the school—and an honors student. He almost became a Catholic priest—started at a seminary in Missouri, but dropped out. He later graduated from Yale Law School. He came down for the dedication of the courthouse; that was a big day for our campus and for Savannah. Thomas Courthouse is where the Savannah Law trial teams practice. And this is where you could find Scott Marino most weekends, preparing for his trials when he was an intern in the DA's office downtown.
The big yellow stucco building is the Administration Building. Not much to see, but Dean Adams' office is there, and the "Founders Plaque." The plaque lists all the crooks . . . oops, sorry . . . all the original trustees for the school. Don't get me wrong; not all the trustees were crooks. There were a lot of honest business and civic leaders involved in starting up this school. It's the only law school south of Macon, and it was built without a penny of the state's money. It's a private school, but the whole Savannah community thinks it's theirs; they're real proud of it. Starting a private law school is a big undertaking, and Howard Nolan was the man most responsible. And "so what," I say, if he made lots of money from it. I still don't think he was a crook, despite what my brother-in-law, Darrol, says. Darrol was one of the Savannah detectives who worked on the case. He says Howard Nolan was a trustee who used his own construction companies for the buildings, and his banks to fund the project, and made a killing. Darrol says this self-dealing was illegal. Maybe that's true, but if Howard hadn't gotten involved, this law school—and my job—wouldn't exist.
Over there, on the north side, is the Faculty Building. Some of the classrooms are there too, including Crawford classroom. That’s where the faculty meetings are held. There are a lot of rumors floating around the campus about those faculty meetings, but I think that’s just what they are—rumors. Sure, I’ve heard some shouting at times, but I don’t believe there’s ever been any physical violence, despite those rumors. But I know some of those professors can have real strong opinions. I guess we'll find out soon; I hear there's a lot written about those faculty meetings and those cantankerous professors in the novel. I've got a few stories I could tell about Professor Velma VanLandingham myself.
The last place on our tour is the Student Center. This houses our cafe, fitness center, lounge, and bookstore. I watched "the trial" on the big screen in the lounge. That was some spectacle. Watching Max Gordon make his opening statement is something I'll never forget. I won't forget Judge Desano, either. And Judge Desano won't forget Max Gordon. No love lost there. The trial was broadcast live on TV everyday, and I've got clips of their confrontations on my DVR. It's in the novel, and I don't want to spoil it for you.
Now for more about our school, just click the panel "Students and Faculty" in the top right of the screen.