Legally Blonde Page #10

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Are you sure?

Now he's not.

DORKY DAVID:

Yes?

PROFESSOR STROMWELL

~ Would you be willing to stake your life

on it?

DORKY DAVID:

I think so...

PROFESSOR STROMWELL

H o w about --

She spins around, roughly POKING another student in the head.

(CONTINUED)

32.

41 (2) 41

PROFESSOR STROMWELL (CONT'D)

(continuing)

-- his life?

DORKY DAVID:

(scared)

I don't know.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL

Well, I recommend knowing before

speaking.. The law leaves much room for

interpretation -- but very little for

self-doubt.

As she turns away --

PROFESSOR STROMWELL (CONT'D)

(continuing)

And you were right. It was Aristotle.

The class half-laughs in relief.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL (CONT'D)

(continuing)

I assume you've all read pages 1- 48 and

are now well-versed in subject matter

jurisdiction.

Elle looks around, surprised, as students open their books.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL (CONT'D)

(continuing)

Who can tell us about Gordon v. Steele?

Silence. Stromwell looks down at the seating chart.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL (CONT'D)

(continuing)

Ivan Greenstein?

Intense Ivan straightens in his' seat.

IVAN:

Gordon sued her doctors for malpractice.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL

And what did the dispute entail?

(looking at her chart)

Let's call on someone in the hot zone.

Elle Woods? Elle looks up, distressed.

(CONTINUED)

33.

41 (3) 41

ELLE:

Uh... I wasn't aware that we had an

assignment.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL

(looking at her chart)

Sarah Knottingham?

SARAH KNOTTINGHAM -- a prim and preppy blue-blood brunette,

dressed in pearls and a sweater set -- looks up.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL (CONT'D)

(continuing)

Do you think it's acceptable that Ms.

Woods is unprepared?

Sarah looks over at Elle. Elle gives her a mortified smile.

Sarah turns back to Professor Stromwell.

SARAH:

No, I don't.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL

Would you support my decision to ask her

to leave and return to class only when

she is prepared?

SARAH:

Absolutely.

Elle can't believe that this girl would betray her. Having

no choice,, she gathers her purse and goes, completely

humiliated. Professor Stromwell returns to the matter at

hand.

PROFESSOR STROMWELL

Now, Ms. Knottingham, did diversity

jurisdiction'exist in this case?

42 EXT. LAW SCHOOL QUAD - BENCHES - DAY - LATER 42

EMMETT -- a shy and quirkily handsome 28-year-old who could

pass for younger -- sits on a bench, going over some papers.

He looks up and spots Elle -- sitting across from him --

looking traumatized.

EMMETT:

Are you okay?

Elle looks up, snapping out of her stupor.

(CONTINUED)

34.

42 . 42

ELLE:

Do they just -- put you on the spot like

that? Like, all the time?

EMMETT:

The professors? Yeah, they tend- to do

that. Socratic method.

ELLE:

And if you don't know the answer, they

just kick you out?

He smiles.

EMMETT:

You have Stromwell.

ELLE:

(hopeful)

Did she do that to you, too?

EMMETT:

No, but she made me cry once. Not in

class -- I waited until I got to my room,

but yeah, she can pretty much shrivel

your balls -- or you know, your

whatevers .

ELLE:

(stricken)

Neat . · ' , '

EMMETT:

Don't worry. It gets better. Who else

do you have?

Elle looks at her schedule.

ELLE:

Donovan, Royalton and Levinson.

EMMETT:

Speak up in Donovan's class. He likes

people with an opinion. Sit in the back

for Royalton. He tends to spit when he

talks about products liability.

Elle makes a face. He smiles. Liking her.

(CONTINUED)

35.

42 ( 2 ) 42

EMMETT (CONT'D)

(continuing)

And make sure you read the footnotes in

Levinson's class. That's where all her

exam questions come from.

ELLE:

Wow. I ' m glad I met you.

She smiles at him, grateful.

EMMETT:

Oh, and getting one of Stromwell's daily

quotes right is almost as important as

acing the mid-term. But you didn't hear

it from me.

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