The Paper Chase (Osborn novel)

The book tells the story of Hart, a first-year law student at Harvard, and his experiences with Professor Charles Kingsfield, a brilliant and demanding contracts instructor whom he both idolizes and finds incredibly intimidating.

After much effort preparing for final exams, Hart's grades are delivered to him, but he simply makes a paper airplane out of the envelope, and sends it sailing into the Atlantic Ocean without looking at it.

Kingsfield is an imperious, highly respected (and feared) professor of contracts at Harvard Law School, known for his unrelenting use of the Socratic method on his students.

[6] Actor John Houseman, who played the role in the film and television series, said that he based his performance, in part, on stories he was told by former students of Edward Henry Warren, a professor at the law school from 1904 to 1945.

Warren, who taught a first-year property law course, was famous at the school for his sarcastic comments during lectures and intimidating manner.