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)

Exhibit
 1

From:
Subject:
Date:
To:
Cc:

Patrick Strawbridge [e-mail]
Re: SFFA v. Harvard - Notice of Deposition (Weaver)
September 29, 2015 at 1:37 PM
Ellsworth, Felicia H [e-mail]
Benjamin Caldwell [e-mail], William Consovoy [e-mail], Michael Park
[e-mail], Paul Sanford [e-mail], Wolfson, Paul [e-mail]

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 <[e-mail]> 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
[phone])(t)
[phone])(f)
[e-mail]
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)
[e-mail]—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:[e-mail]]
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
<[e-mail]> 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:[e-mail]]
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
<[e-mail]> 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
[phone])(t)
[phone])(f)
[e-mail]
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)[e-mail]—
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:[e-mail]]
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
<[e-mail]> 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
[phone])(t)
[phone])(f)
[e-mail]
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)[e-mail]—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:[e-mail]]
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

)

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