Law school professor responds to Kaine criticism

As a Law School faculty member who has experience with both Gov. Kaine and Sherrie Harrington, I feel compelled to respond to the opinion column by Gray Delany.

While I have no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding their hiring, the suggestion that a university would hire a faculty member to give a "cushy job" to a staff member is, quite simply, absurd.

Further, in the entire time that they have been working at the law school, I have never seen either demonstrate an "air of superiority" or treat anyone with disrespect.

In fact, absent prior knowledge, one would never know that they are a former governor and his longtime staff member. I have seen Gov. Kaine introduce himself to prospective students as "Tim," never once mentioning his previous office or political candidacy.

As for Harrington, I have worked closely with her on two large projects and could not have been more impressed with her job performance. She went above and beyond on every aspect of her work.

She worked long hours, attended to every detail, and most importantly, smoothly relocated a large conference at the last minute because of the campus visit by President Obama last fall. Thanks to her consummate professionalism, the conference went off without a hitch.

These two superbly qualified individuals are valuable, contributing members of our community. We are fortunate to have them both.