Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College et al

Filing 106

DECLARATION re 105 Opposition to Motion for Protective Order by Students for Fair Admissions, Inc.. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1, # 2 Exhibit 2, # 3 Exhibit 3, # 4 Exhibit 4)(Strawbridge, Patrick)

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              Exhibit  1   From: Subject: Date: To: Cc: Patrick Strawbridge patrick@consovoymccarthy.com Re: SFFA v. Harvard - Notice of Deposition (Weaver) September 29, 2015 at 1:37 PM Ellsworth, Felicia H felicia.ellsworth@wilmerhale.com Benjamin Caldwell bcaldwell@burnslev.com, William Consovoy will@consovoymccarthy.com, Michael Park park@consovoymccarthy.com, Paul Sanford psanford@burnslev.com, Wolfson, Paul Paul.Wolfson@wilmerhale.com Felicia: At the outset, let me note once again that no stay has been granted in this case. Your suggestion that the parties are awaiting an order for discovery to proceed is completely unfounded. Absent a stay, discovery must proceed, witnesses must obey subpoenas, document productions must commence, and the case must move forward. Harvard’s ongoing assumption that it can unilaterally grant itself a stay, and avoid its obligations under the rules, is wrong. I renew our request that Harvard comply with its obligations under the rules and agree to immediately exchange responsive documents and move the discovery process forward. As for Ms. Weaver, your email once again makes no effort to explain why Ms. Weaver cannot appear for a deposition sometime in the next two weeks (or within a month of when her deposition was noticed). We have been completely reasonable in asking for an explanation as to the reason of her unavailability; the burden is on the witness to explain why a four-week period does not work, and to substantiate the reasons for unavailability. We did not ask for “correspondence” with her employer; we asked for confirmation that she had actually sought one day to appear—and offered to take the deposition on the weekend, if that would not work. Moreover, our firm has substantial upcoming commitments in November and December that make scheduling more difficult late in the year. This is why we noticed the deposition two weeks ago. Because you have ignored our repeated requests, and have failed to provide any actual reason for the delay, attached please find a subpoena and amended notice of deposition for Ms. Weaver’s deposition on October 9. We expect the witness and counsel to appear on that day, and reserve our rights under the rules if the subpoena is disregarded. Based on your prior representations, it is our understanding that you will accept service of the subpoena on behalf of Ms. Weaver (and that personal service on Ms. Weaver is unnecessary); if that understanding is incorrect please let us know by the close of business today. The Rule 45(b)(1) attendance and mileage fee will be tendered with the original subpoena which is being mailed to you. Finally, we disagree with your assertion that Ms. Weaver’s deposition counts as one of Harvard’s presumptive ten party depositions. As you have made clear (including within your demand for a subpoena), Ms. Weaver is no longer a Harvard employee and not under Harvard’s direct control. Your assertion that Harvard can have it both ways — treat Ms. Weaver as a party for purposes of limiting discovery in this case, but a non-party for purposes of trying to delay and avoid her deposition — is unsustainable. This is a non-party deposition. Patrick Strawbridge Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC Ten Post Office Square 8th Floor South PMB #706 Boston, MA 02109 617.227.0548 207.522.3163 (mobile) www.consovoymccarthy.com www.consovoymccarthy.com Weaver - Subpoena 4810-5351-9401.pdf Weaver - Amended Notice of D…7-3065.pdf On Sep 28, 2015, at 5:09 PM, Ellsworth, Felicia H <felicia.ellsworth@wilmerhale.com> wrote: Patrick, ) Without)addressing)your)unwarranted)request)for)Ms.)Weaver’s)specific)dates)of)unavailability)and) correspondence)with)her)employer,)and)the)unreasonable)demand)that)Ms.)Weaver)make)herself) available)for)a)deposi@on)before)October)11,)please)be)advised)that,)if,)in)the)interim,)the)Court) orders)discovery)to)proceed)in)this)maDer,)Ms.)Weaver)is)available)on)October)29)or)November)13)to) sit)for)a)deposi@on.))She)will)require)a)subpoena)to)provide)to)her)employer.))Please)note)that)we) consider)this)to)be)one)of)the)10)Harvard)deposi@ons)that)SFFA)is)alloDed)under)the)Rules,)per)the) Court’s)orders)at)the)scheduling)conference. ) Felicia ) Felicia'H.'Ellsworth'|'WilmerHale 60)State)Street Boston,)MA)02109)USA +1)617)526)6687)(t) +1)617)526)5000)(f) felicia.ellsworth@wilmerhale.com Please'consider'the'environment'before'prin;ng'this'email. This)email)message)and)any)aDachments)are)being)sent)by)Wilmer)Cutler)Pickering)Hale)and)Dorr)LLP,)are)confiden@al,)and)may)be) privileged.)If)you)are)not)the)intended)recipient,)please)no@fy)us)immediately—by)replying)to)this)message)or)by)sending)an)email) topostmaster@wilmerhale.com—and)destroy)all)copies)of)this)message)and)any)aDachments.)Thank)you. For)more)informa@on)about)WilmerHale,)please)visit)us)at)hDp://www.wilmerhale.com. ) ) From: Patrick Strawbridge [mailto:patrick@consovoymccarthy.com] Sent: Friday, September 25, 2015 4:02 PM To: Ellsworth, Felicia H Cc: Benjamin Caldwell; William Consovoy; Michael Park; Paul Sanford; Wolfson, Paul Subject: Re: SFFA v. Harvard - Notice of Deposition (Weaver) Felicia: I appreciate that the witness has a new job, but that change in and of itself is not sufficient to excuse her appearance at a deposition. We have a right and obligation to our clients to develop our case, and scheduling pressures of our own. It does not take two weeks to get a set of dates for a witness’s availability; it is a matter of one, maybe two telephone calls. I therefore must request that Wilmer provide the following information by 5 p.m. on Monday: 1) The specific dates and destinations of Ms. Weaver’s pre-existing out-of-state travel commitments in September and October. 2) Written and specific confirmation that Ms. Weaver has inquired with her employer about receiving time to prepare for and provide a deposition, and been expressly denied permission to do so by her employer. We intend to provide a subpoena to compel her attendance, if that helps convince her employer. 3) Days Ms. Weaver is available between Monday and October 11. We are willing to take the deposition over the weekend, to accommodate the vacation issue (if necessary). Patrick Strawbridge Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC Ten Post Office Square 8th Floor South PMB #706 Boston, MA 02109 617.227.0548 207.522.3163 (mobile) www.consovoymccarthy.com On Sep 25, 2015, at 12:54 PM, Ellsworth, Felicia H <felicia.ellsworth@wilmerhale.com> wrote: Patrick, ) We)are)s@ll)discussing)with)Ms.)Weaver.))As)I)men@oned,)she)has)just)started)new) employment)(with)the)accompanying)lack)of)accrued)vaca@on)or)other)leave)@me),)and) also)has)several)preexis@ng)outbofbstate)travel)commitments)in)the)coming)weeks.)) September)30)definitely)does)not)work)for)her;)we)are)discussing)possible)alterna@ve) dates)in)October)and)early)November.) ) Thanks, Felicia ) From: Patrick Strawbridge [mailto:patrick@consovoymccarthy.com] Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2015 1:30 PM To: Ellsworth, Felicia H Cc: Benjamin Caldwell; William Consovoy; Michael Park; Paul Sanford; Wolfson, Paul Subject: Re: SFFA v. Harvard - Notice of Deposition (Weaver) Felicia: Have you been able to confirm some dates for Ms. Weaver? Patrick Strawbridge Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC Ten Post Office Square 8th Floor South PMB #706 Boston, MA 02109 617.227.0548 207.522.3163 (mobile) www.consovoymccarthy.com On Sep 21, 2015, at 2:43 PM, Ellsworth, Felicia H <felicia.ellsworth@wilmerhale.com> wrote: Patrick, ) Bryce)Gilfillian)has)assumed)Ms.)Weaver’s)responsibili@es)with)regard)to) alumni.) ) Thank)you, Felicia ) Felicia'H.'Ellsworth'|'WilmerHale 60)State)Street Boston,)MA)02109)USA +1)617)526)6687)(t) +1)617)526)5000)(f) felicia.ellsworth@wilmerhale.com Please'consider'the'environment'before'prin;ng'this'email. This)email)message)and)any)aDachments)are)being)sent)by)Wilmer)Cutler)Pickering)Hale)and)Dorr)LLP,) are)confiden@al,)and)may)be)privileged.)If)you)are)not)the)intended)recipient,)please)no@fy)us) immediately—by)replying)to)this)message)or)by)sending)an)email)topostmaster@wilmerhale.com— and)destroy)all)copies)of)this)message)and)any)aDachments.)Thank)you. For)more)informa@on)about)WilmerHale,)please)visit)us)at)hDp://www.wilmerhale.com. From: Patrick Strawbridge [mailto:patrick@consovoymccarthy.com] Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 2:16 PM To: Ellsworth, Felicia H Cc: Benjamin Caldwell; William Consovoy; Michael Park; Paul Sanford; Wolfson, Paul Subject: Re: SFFA v. Harvard - Notice of Deposition (Weaver) Subject: Re: SFFA v. Harvard - Notice of Deposition (Weaver) Felicia: No stay is in place. Harvard could have sought a temporary stay, but elected not to. We are thus well within our rights to notice the deposition of current and former Harvard employees. Please advise who has taken over Ms. Weaver’s function in the admissions office, particularly with respect to alumni interviewers. Finally, please confirm that Wilmer actually represents Ms. Weaver in this matter, as your email does not make that entirely clear. Thank you, Patrick Strawbridge Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC Ten Post Office Square 8th Floor South PMB #706 Boston, MA 02109 617.227.0548 207.522.3163 (mobile) www.consovoymccarthy.com On Sep 17, 2015, at 11:51 AM, Ellsworth, Felicia H <Felicia.Ellsworth@wilmerhale.com> wrote: Ben, ) As)you)know,)Harvard)has)moved)for)a)stay)of)proceedings) pending)the)Supreme)Court’s)ruling)inFisher'II,)on)which)Judge) Burroughs)has)not)yet)ruled.))We)believe)the)judge’s)ruling)on) that)mo@on)is)necessary)to)inform)the)scope)of)permissible) discovery,)if)any,)at)this)@me,)and)reserve)all)rights)in)light)of) that)pending)mo@on.) ) In)any)event,)please)be)aware)that)Ms.)Weaver)lef)the) Admissions)Office)toward)the)end)of)the)summer)and)has) recently)begun)work)at)a)new)employer.))We)will)contact)Ms.) Weaver)to)determine)her)availability,)which)will)of)course) depend)on)her)schedule)and)the)restric@ons)stemming)from) her)being)newly)employed.))I)will)be)in)touch)when)we)have) determined)Ms.)Weaver’s)availability.))For)the)avoidance)of) determined)Ms.)Weaver’s)availability.))For)the)avoidance)of) doubt,)any)contact)with)Ms.)Weaver)should)con@nue)to)go) through)WilmerHale.) ) Thank)you, Felicia ) Felicia'H.'Ellsworth'|'WilmerHale 60)State)Street Boston,)MA)02109)USA +1)617)526)6687)(t) +1)617)526)5000)(f) felicia.ellsworth@wilmerhale.com Please'consider'the'environment'before'prin;ng'this'email. This)email)message)and)any)aDachments)are)being)sent)by)Wilmer)Cutler)Pickering) Hale)and)Dorr)LLP,)are)confiden@al,)and)may)be)privileged.)If)you)are)not)the) intended)recipient,)please)no@fy)us)immediately—by)replying)to)this)message)or)by) sending)an)email)to)postmaster@wilmerhale.com—and)destroy)all)copies)of)this) message)and)any)aDachments.)Thank)you. For)more)informa@on)about)WilmerHale,)please)visit)us)at) hDp://www.wilmerhale.com. From: Benjamin Caldwell [mailto:bcaldwell@burnslev.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 1:19 PM To: Ellsworth, Felicia H Cc: 'Patrick Strawbridge'; 'William Consovoy'; 'Michael Park'; Paul Sanford; Wolfson, Paul Subject: SFFA v. Harvard - Notice of Deposition (Weaver) ) Felicia, ) ADached)please)find)a)No@ce)of)Deposi@on)for)Caroline) Weaver)(Admissions)Officer).))The)deposi@on)had)been) scheduled)for)September)30th)at)Burns)&)Levinson’s)office. ) Benjamin(C.(Caldwell Burns(&(Levinson(LLP One$Citizens$Plaza$|$Suite$1100$|$Providence,$RI$$02903 125$Summer$Street$|$Boston,$MA$02110 Phone:$$401.330.1751 Facsimile:$$401.831.8359 Website:$$www.burnslev.com ) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: *Only print this e-mail if necessary. This e-mail message is intended only for the designated recipient(s). It may contain confidential or proprietary information, and may be subject to the attorney-client privilege and/or other confidentiality protections. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not review, retain, disseminate, distribute or copy this recipient, you may not review, retain, disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone or reply e-mail. Thank you.

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