Elena Kagan’s War on the Military
Rob Bluey /
Elena Kagan’s treatment of military recruiters while dean of Harvard Law School was supposed to be an insignificant blip during her Supreme Court confirmation. Vice President Joe Biden, for instance, brushed aside the suggestion that she did anything wrong in a recent TV interview.
But a closer look at the timeline of events reveals Kagan mounted an unprecedented legal challenge to bar recruiters from visiting the Cambridge campus.
Today the Washington Post adds new details of the struggle Kagan faced: appeasing gay activists on campus vs. satisfying the military’s desire to recruit top talent. The article sheds light on Kagan’s interactions with the Harvard Law School Veterans Association.
Author Amy Goldstein introduces new information to the story through a series of interviews with former students, but also leaves out some important facts.
The Harvard Law School website has a treasure trove of information that spells out exactly what happened — and more importantly, when it happened — during Kagan’s time as dean.