manner of persuading you, having you figure out that his changes made your

writing better," Nathanson said.

After finishing a clerkship for Steven Breyer, the Supreme Court Justice who was then a federal appeals court judge--and would soon be a candidate for the Harvard presidency himself--Goodheart returned to the University, where he joined the General Counsel's office.

He soon moved to the Boston law of Hill & Barlow, where he worked as a trial lawyer for several years.

The firm is smaller than the older firm of Ropes and Gray, but still a powerhouse. As of last year, the firm had 123 lawyers, the largest group of whom work in litigation. The exclusive group of partners includes Goodheart's wife, Lisa, who he met at the firm.

"He was a brilliant young lawyer," says Joseph D. Steinfeld, a senior partner at the firm. "He is a person of exceptional ability, one of the smartest people that had crossed through our doors...The word brilliant is not an overstatement."

At Hill & Barlow he worked in the company's brand new offices, at One International Place, a downtown Boston office building with sweeping views of Boston Harbor. Compensation is generous. Presently, a first-year associate like Goodheart makes $100,000 a year, and a discretionary bonus of up to $40,000.

Colleagues at Hill & Barlow remember Goodheart's work on a team that won a substantial victory for employees of department store chain Jordan Marsh in their class action suit against the store.

He was also deeply involved in representing a death row inmate in Alabama whose death sentence was eventually overturned.

Goodheart's colleagues say that not only was he smart but also a pleasure to

work with.

"He's a delightful person to talk to and he's got a very nice quiet sense

of humor he has broadranging interests he reads extensively he likes to

talk about things that he reads" says John A.D. Gilmore, the chair of the

firm's litigation department. "He was very popular with all of the firm's constituencies: the staff, the associates the partners."."