For the bad guys of pro wrestling, boos are the equivalent of cheers. And for David Otunga ’06, nothing draws boos like his tag line, “I’m the only Harvard-educated lawyer in the history of the WWE [World Wrestling Entertainment].”
Otunga was the keynote speaker at the Harvard Law School Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law’s 2014 symposium on Friday, which also include panel discussions with practicing lawyers, a presentation of student awards, and a recognition of Paul C. Weiler, LL.M. ’65, the Henry J. Friendly Professor of Law, Emeritus.
Addressing the audience of more than 100 students and faculty, Otunga said, “Wrestling school is different than law school.” He bills himself as unique — the only Harvard lawyer, movie star, professional wrestler, reality star, bodybuilder, and TV personality in the world. But his biography may sound familiar: His father is Kenyan, his mother is a white American, and he grew up in Chicago. Otunga also clerked and worked at Sidley Austin, the Chicago law firm where Barack Obama ’91, and Michelle Robinson Obama ’88, met.