Law Student Accused of Plagiarizing Graduation Talk

Preston Mitchum gave a speech at his law school graduation from North Carolina Central University last week that in significant portions came from one given last year by a student at the State University of New York at Binghamton, The News & Observer reported. Mitchum said he found the speech -- whose theme dealt with being average -- on YouTube. He said he meant to credit the original, but didn't. Anthony Corvino, who gave the talk at Binghamton, said that Mitchum had called him to apologize, and that he believed the apology was sincere. Raymond Pierce, law dean at North Carolina Central, was less forgiving. "Quite frankly, I'm disgusted," Pierce told the News & Observer. "I spared no words in expressing to Mr. Mitchum how disgusted I am with this, and shocked. I mean, he is a student leader here at our law school. Plagiarism is a sad, yet unfortunate reality in higher education, we all know that. That is not to make any excuse but it is a sad and unfortunately reality. I would say, of all places, a school of law has no place for that."