Three days before class begins and already Jack McCoy has lost one of his class books.

“Where the heck is it?”

He kicks another book out of his way in frustration. He looks down at it in triumph. He can not enjoy this for very long as he hears a jiggling of keys outside his door and it starting to open. Jack straightens up and waits to see who is about to come in.

“Now Paul, you have to promise to be good this year.”

“When am I not good, Dad?”

“When I’m bailing you out of the drunk tank for disorderly conduct.”

“Aww, but that was all a misunderstanding.”

Jack clears his throat.

The father and son notice Jack for the first time.

“Well, hello there!”

The father reaches out his hand. Jack takes it not sure why they are here.

“What’s you name?”

“Jack McCoy.”

“Pleased to meet you, Jack. I’m Ron Kopell and this,” he grabs his son by the arm and shoves him forward, “Is my son, Paul.”

Paul sizes up Jack and comes to a conclusion, “It’s a real live Mic.”

Jack’s eyes flash in rage but he says nothing.

Ron Kopell smacks his son upside the head, “Don’t be ignorant! Jack, may not have as much money as you do and he may not be as cultured as you but he is still smart enough to be here.”

Jack heads toward his part of the dorm, “Thanks for the ringing endorsement.”

The son and the father continue their talk in the living room.

“Now, please, try and stay out of trouble.”

“Of course.”

“Why does the fact that you agreed with me so quickly scare me?”

“No idea.”

Ron shakes his head and then leaves. Paul chuckles.

“Aww, Dad I love ya,” he walks in the same direction that Jack went, “Hey, where’d ya go?”

“Gone out with the rest of the trash.”

Paul glances up in one of the rooms and spies Jack lying down in a loft reading a book.

“What’s with you? I mean, one of your kind was in the White House. Should make you proud.”

“My ‘kind’?”

“Ya know- Irish.”

“Oh, for a minute there I thought you were just being stupid.”

Paul takes a seat at Jack’s desk, “You’re all set up already...”

“I worked here most of the summer.”

“As what?”

“Why?”

“Just curious.”

“I’m a janitor.”

“Oh and you think that’s something shameful?”

“No, I don’t. I just don’t like giving cause for a way of thinking that says all Irish are drunken, stupid, working class underlings with bad tempers.”

“You didn’t like the ‘Mic’ comment, did you?”

“No, I didn’t and it would serve you well not to say it again in my presence.”

“Jack, I don’t really think that way.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“I wanted to see if I could get a rise out of you.”

Jack puts down his book., “Now, I gotta hear this explanation.”

“Jack, I’m always trying to provoke a reaction- that’s just how I am.”

“You’ll make a great defense lawyer.”

“Yeah, that’s what my dad says. But back to why said what I said- it’s my way of figuring out people by how much they let me get under their skin.”

“And how does your test rate me?”

“A fairly level-headed guy who has too much riding on him to make impulsive decisions- like punching me in the face when I made that comment.”

Jack leans over the side of the bed and stares at Paul.

“Uh huh...”

“I also think you’re extremely intelligent and dedicated student.”

“When I’m helping flip the bill you better believe I am.”

“Where are you from?”

“Chicago... You?”

“Boston.”

“Boston, huh?”

“Yup. My father was on a first name basis with President Kennedy.”

“Is that supposed to impress me?”

“No, but it shows you were I come from.”

“Rich, privileged brat.”

“You could be more right than you know. We had a summer house out on Martha’s Vineyard and servants to spare.”

“Why didn’t you go to Harvard?”

“Because, Jack, I don’t want to be a lawyer to the wealthy. I want to get into the bowels of a city and see what makes it tick. I wanna defend those that no one else wants to defend because even they deserve the protection of the law.”

“Congratulations- now get in line.”

“Always the cynic aren’t we, Jack?”

“Saves me from a lot of disappointment.”

“Hummm, perhaps... Where did you go to college?”

“University of Chicago.”

“Really? Prestigious place.”

“What about you?”

“I’ve done four years here at NYU and now I want my law degree from here.”

“What does your dad do for a living. Seems pretty upscale.”

“What do you think he is?”

“I think he’s a lawyer and he’s part of the reason that you are becoming one as well.”

“You’re good, Jack. Yeah, he’s a lawyer for Kopell And Brownlee.”

“And he wants you to follow in his foot steps?”

“Something like that... What’s does your’s do?”

“He’s a cop.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Now tell me, how does a cop’s son become a lawyer?”

“It’s a long and sordid tale.”

“Meh... Any ways, what kinda law you interested in?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, I don’t like it.”

“Okay, I can take a hint.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Paul gets up and heads to his side of the room and starts to unpack. Jack tries to go back to reading his book but can’t due to the noise from the other part of the room of Paul setting up. Paul notices Jack’s frustrated glances.

“Something wrong, Jacko?”

“I think we need to make some rules- Rule #1: Do not EVER call me ‘Jacko’. Rule #2: When I’m reading BE QUIET!”

“Okay, sounds fair enough. Rule #3: When the bed be a rockn’ don’t come a knockn’.”

Jack rolls his eyes, “Alright, as long as you never bring anyone home after I’m here already and you don’t come in at all hours of the night.”

“Aww, does little Jack need his beauty sleep?”

“No, BIG Jack just wants to be able to get up in the morning for class.”

“So noted... Who’s gonna clean the bathroom?”

“We should take turns... As soon as it starts needing to be cleaned.”

“Next month sound good to you?”

“Sounds great.”