The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"I found it incredibly discouraging. The implication there is that we should be studying 24 hours a day."

Lynn McLain remembers when the library changed its hours to be open for 24 hours a day.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"It was a backhanded compliment."

Joan Erwin and Lynn McLain recall when Erwin's Contracts notebooks were stolen right before exams.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"Nixon's picture used to hang in the courtroom and was stolen several times."

The Honorable Evelyn Cannon talks about shenanigans in the Law School during the time of the Watergate scandal.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"As I was walking back to my seat, I could hear Property coming out of my ears like a balloon bursting."

The Honorable Charles L. Becton talks about his first Law School exam in Professor Bertel Sparks' Property class.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"Your Law School friends are your lifetime friends."

Joan Erwin and Lynn McLain talk about the experience of Law School and how it bonds individuals together.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"One of the women in the class above us finally said, 'You know, I wish I could have a wife, just for Law School.'"

Joan Erwin '74 and Lynn McLain '74 talk about being women in Law School and recall when Erwin's husband was invited to join the Law Dames.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"I thought I might be a patent lawyer or do something to use my engineering background."

James Berry '74 talks about why he left a career in engineering to come to Law School.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"He got through Vietnam and moot court could have killed him."

Joan Erwin and Lynn McLain remember how a Vietnam veteran classmate fainted after his first question in Moot Court.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"He said, 'You know, sometimes in life, you realize what the right thing to do is and the smart thing to do is to do it right then.'"

Lynn Hogue recalls asking then, Dean A Kenneth Pye, for help to pay for a trip to Chicago where he was to read an academic paper at a conference.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"[We had] just a wonderful bunch of professors my first year."

The Honorable Charles L. Becton remembers a number of professors from his first-year Law School classes.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"Back then they did take secrecy in a grand jury seriously."

Joan Erwin '74 recalls doing grand jury work for the Spiro Agnew case.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"We were told to wear coats and ties."

Joan Erwin '74 and Lynn McLain '74 remember their mandatory first-year moot court experience.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"Every time the issue of jurisdiction arises, as a judge, I think, 'If I don't have jurisdiction, I have no power.'"

The Honorable Evelyn Cannon remembers Professor Francis Paschal's Civil Procedure class.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"It is a tremendous bonding experience."

Lynn McLain talks about the stress of final exams when they were given as one comprehensive test at the end of 1L year.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"I think that kind of faculty investment is what really made this a different place."

Lynn Hogue talks about his relationship with Professor Robinson O. Everett.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"I met my wife there picketing."

The Honorable Charles L. Becton tells how he met his wife - a Duke undergraduate at the time - while picketing the Duke football team's spring banquet.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"[It] opened up so many ways of thinking for me. It was an absolutely marvelous experience."

Joan Erwin remembers getting to know University President Terry Sanford while she was at Duke Law School and describes the "smorgasbord of different opinions" she found in the professors here.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"We were supposed to read five or six pages. And my reaction was, 'I thought they said that Law School was hard.'"

The Honorable Evelyn Cannon remembers her Law School pre-assignments and the discovery that six pages of reading could be a difficult assignment.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"That was a long time for me to be reading anything."

The Honorable Charles L. Becton recalls his Law School pre-assignments and the day he realized that completing his education was going to require a lot of work.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"All of us were looking awful in our blue jeans and scraggly stuff, because we had been studying."

Joan Erwin tells about when Richard Nixon's daughter, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and her husband, David Eisenhower, came to visit Duke Law School.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.

"He just turned to them and said, 'I didn't have to. She went to Duke.'"

Joan Erwin '74 talks about arguing a death penalty case in the North Carolina State Supreme Court and Professor Van Alstyne's response to accusations that he had helped her write her brief.

The Duke Law Oral History Project is an ongoing project designed to collect and archive memories from alumni and faculty throughout the history of the Duke Law School.