Chapter 11: Barbara, Lawyer or Sorceress?

For most people, the first priority after creating a product is finding a market. However, that logic only applies to industries untouched by copyright or patent infringement.

Once intellectual property is involved, the first step is registration.

Especially for products that are easily imitated or copied.

So, after creating Snake, the most pressing matter for Ethan was to seek legal protection.

He had no choice—after all, the memory of his dismissal from Magnavox was still fresh.

Initially, Ethan had planned to ask Thomas for help in finding a lawyer.

As a landowner and a member of both the California Agricultural League and the American Farm Bureau, Ethan trusted that Thomas could recommend someone suitable.

But when Evelyn mentioned that she had already consulted with a professor from Stanford Law School while working on Snake, Ethan quickly set aside his plan to involve Thomas.

Thus, early the next morning, Ethan drove his Chevrolet with Evelyn beside him, heading straight for Stanford.

…

Stanford University, founded by Leland and Jane Stanford, boasts one of the largest campuses in America, located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the northwest of Santa Clara Valley.

Though it seemed far, it was less than fifteen miles from Los Gatos.

After driving along Highway 85 for just under half an hour, Ethan spotted the distinctive yellow brick walls and red-tiled roofs that made Stanford's buildings so recognizable.

These structures, the most prominent on campus, were designed in the classic Spanish Colonial style.

Continuing along the wide roads, they passed rows of palm trees, lily-strewn gardens, and rose-filled courtyards.

As an open campus spanning 8,180 acres, Stanford was notably free of walls—a place where not all capitalists wore red ties.

Navigating freely, Ethan soon arrived at one of the academic buildings. Outside the entrance stood a stone plaque engraved with the Stanford Tree, beneath which two lines read: "Stanford" and "Law School."

"This is the place, right?" Ethan recognized the name of the law school.

"Mm-hmm," Evelyn nodded.

After parking the car, they ascended the stairs and, after some wandering, arrived at an office on the second floor.

A simple knock on the door, and within five or six seconds, it was opened, revealing a woman standing before them.

She had brown curls, wore a black sweater adorned with a few flowers, and appeared to be a middle-aged woman.

Upon seeing Evelyn, she immediately broke into a warm smile.

With open arms, she embraced Evelyn in a big hug. "Oh, Evelyn, you're here!"

"Yes, Ms. Barbara, I'm here," Evelyn responded just as warmly, though with a hint of apology. "I'm sorry to intrude on your free time."

"No, no, no," Barbara shook her head, dismissing the idea of an intrusion. "Helping those in need of legal counsel is our duty. Besides, haven't you occupied my free time often enough? Wasn't it three or four times last week alone?"

"Wow, that wasn't my fault, right? It was Professor Vinton who kept sending me to you for advice!"

At the mention of this, Evelyn couldn't help but add, "I'm sure if it weren't for the electromagnetic interference and acoustic feedback caused by using telephones with hearing aids, your office phone would be ringing nonstop."

This description made Barbara laugh heartily, shaking her head. "Evelyn, are you calling Vinton long-winded?"

"Not at all." Evelyn blinked and tilted her head. "Ms. Barbara, you can't just jump to conclusions! I was merely stating a possible fact."

"Haha, I know, I know. Look how nervous you got."

Barbara decided not to dwell on the topic and instead turned her attention to Ethan.

"This must be your brother, Ethan... Jones?"

"Yes, this is Ethan, the one I told you about." Evelyn introduced him properly. "Ethan, this is Ms. Barbara Babcock, the professor I mentioned."

"Hello, Ms. Babcock."

With the conversation turning to him, Ethan politely greeted her.

Barbara extended her hand warmly. "Ethan, may I call you that?"

"Of course," Ethan nodded, shaking her hand eagerly.

"Good, Ethan. No need to be so formal here," Barbara said after the handshake, patting Ethan's shoulder. "Young man, just call me Barbara like Evelyn does. 'Ms. Babcock' sounds too much like someone trying to sell me junk stocks over the phone."

"Oh, Barbara, you have quite the sense of humor," Ethan responded with a gentlemanly smile.

"Alright, don't just stand in the doorway, come in and sit down." After the brief introductions, Barbara stepped aside to invite them in, gesturing toward a table with refreshments. "Help yourselves to coffee or tea, whichever you prefer."

…

In truth, Ethan Jones had never heard of Barbara Babcock. In his past life, there was no record of a notable figure by that name among America's legal elite.

But after Evelyn briefed him on Barbara's credentials, Ethan quickly realized she was the perfect lawyer for his needs.

Barbara Babcock was born in 1938, earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1960, and went on to study law at Yale Law School, graduating with the prestigious Coif honor.

Following this, she clerked for Judge Henry Edgerton of the D.C. Court of Appeals, and later worked for famed criminal defense attorney Edward Williams. With the recommendation of these two luminaries, she became the first Director of the D.C. Public Defender Service in 1968.

In 1972, she accepted an invitation to teach at Stanford, becoming the first female law professor in the university's history.

However, her most impressive achievement wasn't her professional career, but the fact that, since 1970, she had been teaching courses on Women and the Law at both Georgetown and Yale. Over the past five years, she had compiled and summarized a comprehensive history of women in American law.

As Evelyn had said—

"Ethan, Professor Barbara is truly remarkable! This year, she's publishing a casebook on gender discrimination and the law. Many professors have already praised her work, calling it a model for all lawyers. If nothing goes wrong, this casebook will make her a household name across America!"

At this point, Ethan knew for certain—Barbara Babcock was the lawyer he needed!

After all, respect for the law is what makes you a competent lawyer, but mastering it makes you exceptional.

Yet, forging a new path in the realm of law allows you to wield magic!