Stephen Glass is quite a writer. When he worked for the New Republic, I loved his articles. They were invariably well-researched and dealt with hot topics. I remember one where he claimed to have attended a meeting of the great right wing conspiracy. Fascinating stuff.
But then it was determined that they were all lies. He was fired and left journalism in disgrace. Now, a dozen years later, he has applied to be a member of the California bar. He was rejected, appealed and won admission. That order is on appeal to California’s highest court. The case raises fascinating issues. Do past bad acts serve as predictors of future misconduct? Can we judge a person’s moral worth by the mistakes they have made? Can our sins be forgiven?
