PROFESSOR 007: The James Bond of Columbia Law?

Columbia University Law’s website calls Philip Bobbitt “One of the nation’s leading constitutional theorists.” The New York Observer says he’s “a former member of the Carter, Bush I and Clinton administrations and an adviser to foreign heads of state”. But here at Nuts in NY we’re struck by the Cold War trappings: the anachronistic black & white portraits on his book covers… the anecdotes about his uncle LBJ… the scotch and soda and cigars.

Philip Bobbitt

Described as an expert on international security and strategy, Philip Bobbitt’s books have been read by presidential candidates McCain and Obama, and endorsed by Kissinger and Tony Blair.

“Most students see him as a dedicated teacher who happens to lead an impossibly cultured and glamorous life,” the Observer says. “He can blow smoke rings, and sponsors a national poetry prize in honor of his late mother.” And, he “rotates seasonally among his homes, and can’t shake his habit of a nightly cigar and scotch-and-soda.”

According to a teaching assistant for his classes, Bobbitt “teaches class on Monday and Tuesday and flies around the world solving the world’s problems Wednesday through Sunday.” Another says, “His mannerisms just kind of ooze a James Bondian kind of quality.”

As for us, we’re not sure about any “matinee-idol looks”, as abovethelaw.com puts it. To us Bobbitt looks more like 007 author Ian Fleming than any incarnation of his Bond character:

James Bond author Ian Fleming

Anyway, given a character like Bobbitt, we can’t resist taking a look at some reactions from the comments section at abovethelaw.com:

Comment #4:

He’s such a tool. He drives this classic convertible and hops over the door. Also, every single book he’s ever written has some…J. Crew type pose…

Comment #12:

Bobbitt’s house had paintings of naked people on the bathroom wall. Maybe it was supposed to be cultured, but I found it just gross.

Comment #24:

I thought his wife chopped his penis off and threw it out the window.

Comment #32:

So does the guy sleep with his students? …it would be very Bond-esque of him to have a new “Bobbitt girl” every year.

Source: NY Observer via Above the Law
Photo credits: via New York Observer; Horst Tappe/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, via Media Bistro

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