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Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

That time Jim Harbaugh became Michigan's most famous law clerk

College Football, Michigan Wolverines

FLINT, Mich. -- Jim Harbaugh checked his cellphone from the middle of an emptying Genesee County courtroom Monday afternoon and breathed a sigh of relief. The Wolverines' coach had managed to sneak away from campus for a full morning without missing any fires that needed putting out or issues that need to be addressed. 

In a courtroom and away from a cellphone: two anxiety-inducing scenarios for a head football coach in June. For Harbaugh, though, the visit to Judge F. Kay Behm's court was an opportunity to learn more about his newest passion, and tucking his phone away for the morning was a small price of admission. 

Harbaugh traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to stump for a group that helps Americans who can't afford a lawyer to navigate the justice system. He decided this week that he wanted to take time away from his duties in Ann Arbor to see firsthand what that looks like. 

So at 9:01 Monday morning, Harbaugh was seated on Judge Behm's left at a small wooden desk on the third floor of Genesee County's courthouse, tapping away at a computer keyboard. Behm's normal clerk, Pete Hairston, watched over his shoulder as Harbaugh logged the first case of the day and started the audio recording system.  A few minutes earlier, another judge made her way through the courtroom and was introduced to the football coach. "Are you seriously ..." she stopped herself midsentence. "What are you here to do?" 

It was an understandable question. For four hours, Harbaugh performed clerical duties while the probate court mowed through a full slate of restraining order requests, divorce filings and child support claims. These aren't the type of legal proceedings that inspire silver-screen courtroom dramas or even an episode of the coach's beloved "Judge Judy" television show. He listened intently to each one, taking notes on a yellow legal pad and asking the judge follow-up questions when court adjourned for the day.

"It's really important," Harbaugh said. "It should be important to all of us. ... There was a time when I would say I support no cause foreign or domestic other than the greatness of Michigan football."

That time is in the past. Between his growing interest in fair access to legal help, and the evolving views on social justice and protesting that he laid out in a Time article about Colin Kaepernick this spring, Harbaugh has invested time in understanding issues beyond football that are important to him. 

Harbaugh says his public-facing social conscience started to expand in 2015 when John Levi, an old friend and chairman of Legal Services Corporation, invited him to attend the group's annual meetings on Capitol Hill. Legal Services helps to generate financial support for low-income people who are not guaranteed a court-appointed lawyer during child custody battles, disputes with a landlord or other non-criminal cases that occur regularly in courts like Behm's.

"If you'll allow me the football analogy, it's like 80 percent of your team gets to go out and play with helmets," Harbaugh said. "The rest of the team, 'We can't afford a helmet for you, but go out there and play anyway.'"

Behm has a habit of leaving a stack of Legal Services pamphlets at the lectern where the people in her courtroom stand to make their case. Throughout the morning, she alerted Harbaugh when an attorney who had connections to the organization was present and pointed out the litigators doing pro bono work for clients who would not otherwise be able to afford legal help.

She said that citizens who don't benefit from that kind of assistance often miss out on their rights because of simple issues like not knowing how to fill out a particular form or not understanding a deadline in the process.

Levi said Harbaugh has been curious about the justice system since their first meeting three decades ago, while the coach was playing quarterback for the Chicago Bears. While Harbaugh was coaching the 49ers, Levi sent him a gift: a book of speeches delivered by Edward Levi, John's father and the former U.S. Attorney General.  Harbaugh called late at night not long after to say he had read every speech, then cited some of the details that stuck out to him.

Harbaugh and Levi have traveled to D.C. to speak on behalf of Legal Services Corporation for each of the past three years. Harbaugh is a member of the organization's leadership council, which includes (among others) Hank Aaron, former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young and the deans of several prestigious law schools. When Harbaugh learned last fall that one of the council's conference calls was scheduled for the day before Michigan took on Michigan State, he made arrangements to listen in during the team bus ride to East Lansing. 

It was around the same time that Judge Behm learned about Harbaugh's interest in the legal system through her husband, university regent Mike Behm, and issued a casual, open-ended invitation for him to come see her courtroom. She figured he was just being polite when he said he would love to visit. Mike tried to explain that Harbaugh wasn't the type to "just be polite" and said he would text him to prove it. A few minutes later, he got a response from Harbaugh asking if they could set up a date for after the football season.  

Harbaugh said he realizes there are plenty of worthy causes out there that would benefit from sharing the spotlight with one of college football's most interesting coaches. For now, this is where he wants to plant his flag, and he hopes to be more than just a celebrity face with a few talking points in his back pocket.

"I didn't know if he really wanted to come up, but I'm really impressed with his interest in our community," Judge Behm said. "I love that he's involved."

At least a few others in Flint felt the same way Monday morning. A handful of courthouse employees waited patiently for Judge Behm to finish her session so they could shake Harbaugh's hand and pose for a photo. One lawyer ended his 10 minutes in front of the judge by sneaking in a quick "On Wisconsin!" before shooting a glance in the direction of the clerk's desk. Another packed up his belongings before turning back to the judge and asking for one more point of clarification. "Who's got it better than us?" he asked, stealing a Harbaugh catchphrase. 

"I think my assistant for the day may be better equipped to answer that," Behm said.

Harbaugh poked his head up to smile, then quickly ducked back behind the computer monitor to continue his work. 

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