Kiwi Camara
Encyclopedia
Kiwi Alejandro Danao Camara (born June 16, 1984), also known as K.A.D. Camara, is a Filipino American
attorney. In 2001, he became the youngest person to matriculate at Harvard Law School
, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 2004. He was also involved in a racial controversy at the school that attracted national attention. He attracted international media attention in 2009 as the pro bono defense lawyer of Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the defendant in the United States' first file-sharing copyright infringement lawsuit brought by major record labels to be tried to a jury.
, Philippines
, to Enrico Camara and Teresa Danao, both licensed physicians. He is a grandchild of the first summa cum laude graduate of the University of the Philippines
College of Medicine, renowned cardiologist, Augusto Camara, M.D. of Iba, Zambales. At age one, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio
before settling in Honolulu, Hawaii
, where Camara attended the Punahou School
. He wrote a medical paper on alternative treatments for rheumatoid arthritis
at age 11, which was published in the Hawai'i Journal of Medicine. At 16, having skipped high school, Camara earned a Bachelor of Science
in computer science
summa cum laude from Hawaii Pacific University
. He completed the program in two years and was recognized by the university for outstanding academic performance. The Philippines
awarded him its Jose Rizal
Certificate of Achievement while he was in college and later, in 2005, recognized him with a Presidential Commendation.
In 2001, Camara enrolled in Harvard Law School. There he received a John M. Olin
Fellowship in Law and Economics. He held the fellowship until September 2004, at which time he took a position as a law clerk
for Judge Harris Hartz
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
.
Camara held a John M. Olin Fellowship for 2006–2007 and was a visiting scholar at the Northwestern University School of Law
. He was previously a John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics at Stanford Law School
and was briefly a Ph.D student in Economics at Stanford University
.
Camara was a litigation associate at Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos, P.C., a law firm in Houston, Texas before co-founding Camara & Sibley in 2009.
, he wrote "Nigs buy land with no nig covenant; Q: Enforceable?" The notes were prefaced with a disclaimer that they may contain racially offensive shorthand.
Upon discovering the outline, classmate Michelle Simpson alerted other students and professors. Camara issued an apology and the outlines were promptly removed, whereupon a third student using the pseudonym "gcrocodile" e-mailed Simpson, expressing disappointment that they were no longer available. The student was later identified as then-1L Mattias Scholl. The section's professor, Charles Nesson
, proposed as a didactic solution a classroom mock trial in which he would defend Scholl's right to free speech. The Black Law Student Association at the school took offense and called for a reprimand of the professor, along with another professor, David Rosenberg, who in an unrelated incident allegedly stated that "Feminism, Marxism and the blacks have contributed nothing to the scientific pursuit of legal discourse." Nesson voluntarily withdrew from teaching the torts course, and the law school dean took over for remainder of the semester.
The following year, students protested in favor of more transparency in the selection of the next law school dean and requested a candidate in favor of affirmative action.
In an article in The New Yorker
, Jeffrey Toobin
covered the incident and found it "striking" that a sequence of "quirky and anomalous events generated such a consensus at the law school-that racial bias was widespread and that immediate corrective action was needed." Law professor Charles Fried
described it as a "hysterical, ridiculous overreaction to a couple of unfortunate incidents." The controversy is also the subject of the book The People Vs. Harvard Law: How America's Oldest Law School Turned Its Back on Free Speech and a talk at the New England Appellate Judges’ Conference.
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
attorney. In 2001, he became the youngest person to matriculate at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 2004. He was also involved in a racial controversy at the school that attracted national attention. He attracted international media attention in 2009 as the pro bono defense lawyer of Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the defendant in the United States' first file-sharing copyright infringement lawsuit brought by major record labels to be tried to a jury.
Background
Kiwi Danao Camara was born in ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, to Enrico Camara and Teresa Danao, both licensed physicians. He is a grandchild of the first summa cum laude graduate of the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
College of Medicine, renowned cardiologist, Augusto Camara, M.D. of Iba, Zambales. At age one, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
before settling in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where Camara attended the Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
. He wrote a medical paper on alternative treatments for rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...
at age 11, which was published in the Hawai'i Journal of Medicine. At 16, having skipped high school, Camara earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
summa cum laude from Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University, also known as HPU, is a private, Nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Honolulu, Hawaii and Kaneohe, Hawaii. HPU founded in 1965 as Hawaii Pacific College by Paul C.T. Loo, Eureka Forbes, Elizabeth W...
. He completed the program in two years and was recognized by the university for outstanding academic performance. The Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
awarded him its Jose Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
Certificate of Achievement while he was in college and later, in 2005, recognized him with a Presidential Commendation.
In 2001, Camara enrolled in Harvard Law School. There he received a John M. Olin
John M. Olin
John Merrill Olin was an American businessman. He was the son of Franklin W. Olin.-Early life:Born in Alton, Illinois, Olin graduated from Cornell University with a B.Sc. degree in chemistry and as a brother of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity...
Fellowship in Law and Economics. He held the fellowship until September 2004, at which time he took a position as a law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge Harris Hartz
Harris Hartz
Harris L. Hartz is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He was nominated to that court by President George W. Bush on September 4, 2001 to replace Judge Bobby Ray Baldock, who took Senior status...
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Colorado* District of Kansas...
.
Camara held a John M. Olin Fellowship for 2006–2007 and was a visiting scholar at the Northwestern University School of Law
Northwestern University School of Law
The Northwestern University School of Law is a private American law school in Chicago, Illinois. The law school was founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law of the Old University of Chicago. The first law school established in Chicago, it became jointly controlled by Northwestern University in...
. He was previously a John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics at Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
and was briefly a Ph.D student in Economics at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
Camara was a litigation associate at Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos, P.C., a law firm in Houston, Texas before co-founding Camara & Sibley in 2009.
Racial controversy at Harvard
In his first year at Harvard, Camara was involved in a racial controversy that would gain attention from the national media. Like many students, Camara posted his course outlines to a popular student-run website. Camara's, however, referred to blacks as nigs. For example, to summarize Shelley v. KraemerShelley v. Kraemer
Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 , is a United States Supreme Court case which held that courts could not enforce racial covenants on real estate.-Facts of the case:...
, he wrote "Nigs buy land with no nig covenant; Q: Enforceable?" The notes were prefaced with a disclaimer that they may contain racially offensive shorthand.
Upon discovering the outline, classmate Michelle Simpson alerted other students and professors. Camara issued an apology and the outlines were promptly removed, whereupon a third student using the pseudonym "gcrocodile" e-mailed Simpson, expressing disappointment that they were no longer available. The student was later identified as then-1L Mattias Scholl. The section's professor, Charles Nesson
Charles Nesson
Charles Rothwell Nesson is the William F. Weld Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the founder of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society. He is author of Evidence, with Murray and Green, and has participated in several cases before the...
, proposed as a didactic solution a classroom mock trial in which he would defend Scholl's right to free speech. The Black Law Student Association at the school took offense and called for a reprimand of the professor, along with another professor, David Rosenberg, who in an unrelated incident allegedly stated that "Feminism, Marxism and the blacks have contributed nothing to the scientific pursuit of legal discourse." Nesson voluntarily withdrew from teaching the torts course, and the law school dean took over for remainder of the semester.
The following year, students protested in favor of more transparency in the selection of the next law school dean and requested a candidate in favor of affirmative action.
In an article in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Jeffrey Toobin
Jeffrey Toobin
Jeffrey Ross Toobin is an American lawyer, author, and legal analyst for CNN and The New Yorker.-Early life and education:...
covered the incident and found it "striking" that a sequence of "quirky and anomalous events generated such a consensus at the law school-that racial bias was widespread and that immediate corrective action was needed." Law professor Charles Fried
Charles Fried
Charles Fried is a prominent American jurist and lawyer. He served as United States Solicitor General from 1985 to 1989. He is currently a professor at Harvard Law School.-Early life and education:...
described it as a "hysterical, ridiculous overreaction to a couple of unfortunate incidents." The controversy is also the subject of the book The People Vs. Harvard Law: How America's Oldest Law School Turned Its Back on Free Speech and a talk at the New England Appellate Judges’ Conference.