USC’s Early Law Students Were Dead Set Upon Future Profession

The current edition of USC Trojan Family magazine reveals that, in its early years, the USC Law School was forced to take office space in the medical school’s autopsy room.

A good setting for would-be ambulance-chasers, no?

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DOWN WITH THE KINGS! Are the Sacramento Kings’ ears burning? On Monday, KNX radio commentator Michael Josephson called on Laker fans to write to the NBA office to protest the Kings’ stunt of setting fire to a Lakers jersey before the teams’ two playoff games in Sacramento. Josephson, founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, said there’s no place in sports for “simulated acts of violence.”

In retrospect, I guess I’m glad the Lakers didn’t follow this column’s suggestion to retaliate at Staples Center on Friday by stapling or shredding a Kings jersey, or running it over with an office chair.

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A FEW HOPS NORTH: As for the overpopulation of rabbits in Seal Beach, Mike Wechsler of Moorpark suggests the city ship them to the Conejo Valley in the Ventura area. “Conejo” means “rabbit” in Spanish.

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INDOOD TYPES NEED NOT APPLY: John O’Donnell of El Monte received a credit card offer for “outdood” adventurers (see accompanying).

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NOT ENOUGH TO BUY A DRINK AT STARBUCKS: Actors who are paid millions to appear in a motion picture get the headlines.

Then there are the not-yet stars, such as Darrell Kunitomi. He played a dentist who is bumped off by a villain in an episode of TV’s “Lois and Clark.”

The other day, he received a residual of 61 cents. Not that he got to keep all of it. After deductions he was left with 35 cents.

I forgot to ask him if he sent 3.5 cents to his agent.

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CANDIDATE BARBIE: El Segundo-based Mattel has declared Barbie as a presidential candidate. Luckily, she meets the minimum age requirement of 35 (she’s now 41). But, like any candidate, she faces questions about her past.

Some doubts can, I think, be erased. The seemingly erratic behavior of Barbie a few years ago in San Diego, when she growled “Dead men tell no tales,” can be explained. Apparently pranksters had transplanted a G.I. Joe voice box into her, repackaged her and smuggled her into a toy store.

I doubt the credibility of the editor of the Barbie Channeling Newsletter, who claimed she received such saucy comments from the doll as: “The only bad Barbie is a bored Barbie.”

But . . . I’m not sure Barbie will ever live down the line “Math class is tough,” which she uttered a few years ago. She can’t deny she said it, either. It’s on tape. And that’s not G.I. Joe’s voice.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, Times Mirror Square, L.A. 90053 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.