Law Professor Waits All Night For Supreme Court Hearings

Maurice D. Ford '52, lecturer on Law, was among a crowd of 250 who spent Sunday night on the steps of the United States Supreme Court Building hoping to be among the few spectators admitted to yesterday's hearings on whether President Nixon must obey federal subpoena's for Watergate tapes.

Ford was joined by members of his Dunster House seminar, Social Sciences 96iab, "The Development of Law," whom he had invited by letter to join him for a class meeting on the steps of the Supreme Court.

On the Steps

Ford arrived on the court's steps early Sunday morning, 24 hours before the start of the hearings, anxious to be on hand for the first arguments of a case he told his students has "historic" importance. His diligence paid off, as he and his students were among those admitted to the first day of hearings.

Some of those at the head of the line waited as long as 48 hours to gain admission, as only 70 to 80 seats were available for the hundreds of spectators who waited outside.

Stay Awake

On Saturday morning, two days before the start of the hearings, police told the early arrivals that they would be arrested for vagrancy if they fell asleep during the night.

Seats in the courtroom were carefully divided between congressmen; newsmen and members of the bar. Although Ford is a member of the Supreme Court bar, which was alloted 50 places, he was not willing to take his chances among over 1000 colleagues in a lottery for the seats.

In the letter to his students, Ford said he recognized that many would be unable to attend this meeting of the course. He explained his perceptions of the importance of the case, suggesting background material the students might wish to read before attending the session