Charles H. Whitebread (1943 - 2008)

From law school pal S., I learn that Professor Charles Whitebread, a criminal procedure and T&E professor at USC Law School and BarBri criminal law/pro lecturer par extraordinaire, died on September 16th.

Preparing for and taking the bar exam was the most difficult thing I've done that didn't involve illness or death and I can tell you that Professor Whitebread really made that wretched process a little easier and a lot more entertaining. He was charming and funny and able to bottom line crim law/pro in a way that was truly helpful. He was what my dad would have called, "a real character" (this is high praise, by the way). He also gave us some test-taking advice that really calmed me down. I'll paraphrase it here:

There are three kinds of students. The first kind attain bare competence in the material. The second layer achieve an in-depth understanding of the subject matter. The third type is the kind all professors hope for -- the student who becomes a true master of the material. Ladies and gentlemen, you can pass the bar exam with bare competence!

RIP.